Athrun's Betrayal
by thegreatwhitewolf
Summary: When the time comes for Athrun to shoot Kira down, his decision throws everything into chaos. In order to make everything right, he must make the ultimate betrayal, choosing between his duty as a ZAFT soldier and his love for Kira. AthrunxKira ON HOLD
1. Broken Wings

Athrun's Betrayal

Summary: When the time comes for Athrun to shoot Kira down, his decision will throw everything into chaos. In order to make everything right, he must make the ultimate betrayal, choosing between his duty as a ZAFT soldier and his love for Kira. AthrunxKira

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the plot.

Note: This is another one of my random fics. I'm sorry. I just saw episodes 6-10 and this came to mind. It takes place right after episode 10 I guess.

Warning: This will contain AthrunxKira, which is a malexmale pairing. If you're not comfortable with this, which is a homosexual pairing, then I suggest you read something else. The rating, as you might have noticed, is M. It's rated this way because of graphic violence, strong language, lemon, and many other things that I'm sure will come up later, but I've forgotten to mention. Also, the characters may act OOC, because I've only seen the first ten episodes of the series. I apologize now for that.

Chapter 1 Broken Wings

_Flay's tearful face swam in and out of view. _

_"You promised! You promised that daddy would be all right!" she sobbed. He didn't get a chance to reply when her face was replaced by Athrun's. _

_"Traitor," he whispered. "Traitor!!" _

_"No! I'm not a traitor!" _

Kira sat bolt upright in bed, hitting his head on the bottom of the bunk on top of him in the process.

"Oww…" he murmured, ruefully rubbing his head.

"Birdee?" his mechanical bird chirped, flying out of his pajamas pocket and settling comfortably on his shoulder.

He looked at it and a smile crossed his face. As quietly as he could, he rolled off the bed and crossed the darkened room. He slid the door open noisily, held his breath, and counted to three. The others remained mercifully asleep. He let out a soft sigh of relief and slipped out. The Archangel was deserted and he was glad of that. He wandered through the corridors until he came to the place where he had told Lacus Clyne about him and Athrun being friends. The Archangel seemed so lonely without her. She had probably been the only one who truly understood how he felt…about everything. He had had trouble sleeping ever since he had returned her to Athrun. He was plagued by nightmares not about her, but about Athrun. His parting words came back to him.

_"Then I have no choice. The next time we meet in battle, I won't show you any mercy!" The dark-haired boy cried. _

_"The same goes for me!" he had responded. _

_No._ He shook his head and leaned his head against the cool glass. _I don't want to fight anymore! I'm sick of it! _He closed his eyes and tears came down his face. He began sobbing quietly, his shoulders shaking. _Why do I have to fight? I'm not a soldier! I don't belong to the Earth Forces, but I could never join ZAFT; I'm a traitor to my fellow Coordinators. If I don't fight, my friends will die, but if I do, they'll think I'm not fighting hard because I'm one of them. I can't do this._ He closed his eyes and more tears escaped down his face.

_"I won't show you any mercy!" _

"Is that true, Athrun? Do I really mean nothing to you?" he whispered to no one.

He **had **to find out. His mind made up, he made the familiar journey to the Strike for what he sincerely hoped was the last time.

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Commander Le Creuset was interrupted from his pleasant sleep by the sound of an alarm blaring.

"Commander Le Creuset, you're needed on the bridge," one of the ZAFT officers reported when he turned on the screen in his room.

Groaning softly, he got dressed and, after securing his mask over his face, made his way up to the bridge.

"What's going on?" he asked, shaking off his sleep.

"We've confirmed one Mobile Suit being launched from the Legged Ship identified as the X-105 Strike. Athrun Zala has launched in the Aegis without permission. What do you suggest we do? Shall we send out the Duel, Buster, and Blitz?" Ades reported.

"No, I want to see what Athrun will do. Have Duel, Buster, and Blitz on standby," Le Creuset answered.

"Yes sir!" Ades saluted.

_What will you do against your friend Athrun? Will you sink him at last?_ Le Creuset thought, watching the Aegis's retreating back.

_Kira._ Athrun thought as the Strike and Aegis approached each other. They stopped in mid-air and there was only silence between them for the longest time.

"What do you want Kira?" Athrun finally asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I mean nothing to you, right?" Kira asked.

"Yes."

"Then shoot me down."

"What?"

"You heard me! Shoot me down!"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm sick of it! I'm sick of fighting in a war I never should have gotten involved in! I don't belong to either the Earth Forces or ZAFT! I don't belong anywhere! Shoot me down and end it!"

"Kira are you serious?"

"I've never been so serious in my life. If I mean nothing to you, then shoot me down!"

"He's mad!" Lt. Ramius gasped from the bridge.

"Kira!" Miriallia cried.

"I wonder what's possessing him," Ades murmured.

_This should be interesting. Athrun is in a very sticky situation. He's being forced to choose between his loyalty to ZAFT and his loyalty to his best friend._ Le Creuset thought.

"Lt. La Flaga, are you ready to launch?" Lt. Ramius asked.

"Yeah," Lt. La Flaga answered from within his Mobile Armor. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he comes back safely."

He launched.

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"We've confirmed that the Mobile Armor has launched!" a ZAFT officer reported.

"Tell Dearka, Nicol, and Yzak to launch!" Ades yelled.

"Damn them," Lt. La Flaga muttered as he noticed the three other stolen Gundams heading towards them.

"Shoot me down!" Kira screamed.

Athrun had the gun pointed at the Strike, but his hand trembled on the trigger.

_Why can't I shoot him?_ He thought.

"What the hell are you doing, Athrun? Shoot him down!" Yzak yelled. Athrun tried to pull himself together, but it was no use. He couldn't shoot his friend. "You bastard! I'll shoot him down myself!" Yzak pointed his gun at the Strike and smirked as he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Lt. La Flaga cried.

"Kira!" Athrun cried. The beam weapon hit Kira's Gundam and there was a huge explosion.

"Kira!" Miriallia, Tolle, Kuzzey, and Sai cried as one.

The smoke slowly cleared from the battlefield. The Gundam was a twisted heap of metal, barely recognizable to any eye.

"Kira!" Athrun cried.

He worked quickly to open his cockpit, take his seatbelt off, and eject himself out of the Aegis, toward the ruined Strike. Everyone stared as Athrun grabbed onto the Strike and barely held on. He fumbled around for the release button to open the cockpit, but it was heavily damaged. He somehow managed to force the cockpit open and went in. Kira's head hung limply to one side and his helmet was cracked down the middle. Athrun fumbled with Kira's seatbelt, but it was stuck. Thinking quickly, he pulled out his knife and cut the material, freeing him. He fell over forward, only to be caught by Athrun. He shoved himself out of the cockpit with his feet and sailed back to the Aegis, his arms wrapped around Kira.

"What's he doing?" Lt. La Flaga wondered aloud.

"Athrun? What the hell are you doing?" Yzak demanded as Athrun settled back in his cockpit.

"I've captured the pilot of the Strike. Take the Gundam back to the ship," the dark-haired boy responded.

Yzak growled under his breath. Nicol was the one who grabbed the ruins of the Strike and dragged them back to the ship.

"Just like that…he's gone," Lt. Ramius gasped quietly.

"Kira!!" Miriallia cried. She broke down into tears.

"Why Kira? Why did you give yourself up to them?" Sai asked angrily. "Is it because you're one of them?" he turned around with disgust. "Flay was right."

A loud slapping sound filled the bridge. Sai twisted around as Mirillia's hand came in contact with his face.

"How dare you say that about Kira!" she hissed angrily. "He's our friend! He'd never betray us!"

"He's that pilot's friend too," Sai muttered.

The officers on the deck gasped. There was another loud slapping sound as Miriallia delivered another blow to Sai's face.

"What are you talking about?" Lt. Ramius asked. "I demand an explanation!"

Sai sighed softly and took a deep breath. "All we know is that Kira and the pilot of the Aegis were friends once. We heard it from his own mouth…or Kuzzey did."

Kuzzey nodded. "I overheard him talking to that Coordinator girl, Lacus Clyne. They were really close once."

"I can't believe it."

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Yzak's face was contorted into a scowl as he watched Athrun take the captured pilot into one of the rooms. Dearka and Nicol silently watched.

"What's up with him?" Nicol asked softly. "He hasn't been acting like himself lately. Somehow I get the feeling that this pilot has something to do with it."

Scowling even deeper, Yzak pushed his way past the other two pilots and headed in the same direction as Athrun. He wanted to know what the hell was going on and why the hell Athrun had the guts to bring some Natural pilot on the Gamow.

He wanted answers.

To be continued…

1/25/08-I made some minor corrections to the text and added some breaks in, as one of my readers, Xylia Luna Orion suggested. Thanks for that! I'm not so sure about making it longer at this point. Maybe in the future I can get some more ideas.

1/29/08-I made some more corrections to the text. Basically what I did was break up some of the paragraphs to make them more readable. The larger paragraphs are now smaller to make it a less daunting task to read them.


	2. Shattered Dreams

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 2 Shattered Dreams

Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol silently watched as Athrun, already out of his flight suit, gently laid the unconscious pilot on the couch and eased his helmet off, revealing a young, heart-shaped face with a mop of chocolate brown hair that hung in his closed eyes.

"He's…!" Nicol gasped.

"Well, well, well," a voice said behind them, causing them to turn. Le Creuset and Ades stood there, Le Creuset with his eyebrows raised. "How very interesting, Athrun. You've made a fascinating decision by bring the Strike's pilot on board and allowing him to live." Yzak growled softly in anger. "You will hold your tongue, Yzak. Ades, have…Strike's pilot escorted up to the infirmary where he's to be treated with respect…but kept detained."

"Yes sir," Ades saluted and departed.

Le Creuset turned to Athrun. "Athrun, I'd like to have a word with you in my office…privately in five minutes' time. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Athrun replied, lowering his eyes.

Le Creuset departed. Growling softly, Yzak turned to Athrun. He didn't get a chance to react before Yzak had seized him by the collar and slammed him up against the wall just as he had done before.

"You fucking bastard! You have the balls to bring a fucking Natural on our ship! What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled.

Athrun didn't answer. He lowered his eyes, refusing to meet his comrade's piercing gaze. Yzak pressed his fingers against Athrun's throat, crushing his windpipe and effectively cutting off his air supply. He choked, unable to breathe at all.

"Stop it Yzak! You're hurting him!" Nicol cried.

"The bastard deserves it," Yzak spat, pressing harder.

"Leave him alone!" Nicol rushed forward and tried to pry Yzak off. "Help me!" He moaned at Dearka.

The other boy silently came forward and assisted Nicol, but Yzak still wouldn't budge.

"Taking out your anger on Athrun won't change what he's done," Nicol said quietly. Yzak's eyes widened and he reluctantly let go of Athrun's throat. He pushed the other two pilots off him and left. Athrun gasped loudly and collapsed. Immediately, one of his hands moved to his throat and gently massaged it.

"Athrun?" Nicol asked quietly.

The dark-haired boy raised his emerald green eyes up to look at him. Nicol shivered at the emptiness he saw in those eyes.

He quickly composed himself. "Are you all right?"

Athrun silently nodded and rose, dropping his hand to his side. He started to leave, but stopped at the last moment and turned around.

"Nicol, could you…could you stay with Strike's pilot and make sure that Yzak doesn't try to kill him?" he asked in a soft tone.

Surprised, Nicol nodded mutely. Athrun smiled gently as he looked down at the captured pilot on the couch, then was gone, late for his meeting with Le Creuset.

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"What? Are you sure? A Coordinator?!" Dearka demanded in a loud voice as he and Nicol walked to the Infirmary.

"Shhh," Nicol pleaded, looking around. "I'm almost sure that he's a Coordinator."

"But how?" Dearka asked, lowering his voice. "How do you know?"

"A Natural would not have survived an explosion like that. I'm pretty sure that he's one of us."

"But why the hell was he with the Earth Forces if he's a Coordinator?"

"I don't know. But I think…Athrun knows."

"Athrun?"

"Did you see how he smiled when he looked at the pilot before he left? He made it pretty clear to me at least that he knows him."

"So why are we going to the Infirmary?"

"_I'm_ going to the infirmary to look after the pilot. I have no idea why _you're_ going with me."

"Hey, I want to know who the hell this pilot is just as much as you."

They were met at the infirmary by two armed guards who blocked their path.

"No one is to enter the infirmary at this time. The pilot of the last captured machine is being detained here. Failure to cooperate will result in disciplinary action."

"Well then discipline us because we're going in there whether you like it or not," Dearka growled softly.

He shoved his way past the two guards and entered the room. Nicol shrugged as he passed the quizzical guards. Inside, he crashed into Dearka, who had stopped, suspended in midair. The only doctor on the ship was moving around a single occupied bed, taking care of the pilot. His entire body had been bandaged, leaving only a few patches of skin untouched.

"It's amazing he's still even alive," one of the nurses murmured.

"That's because he's not a Natural," the doctor responded.

Everyone in the room except for Dearka and Nicol gasped and murmured among themselves.  
"Are you sure he's…" the nurse asked in a hushed voice.

"Without a doubt."

"What should we do?"

"Notify the bridge. In the meantime, we'll keep taking care of him." The nurses nodded and went back to work, while one of them left the room.

Nicol and Dearka shared a glance.

"I think he's waking up," a different nurse announced.

"Mmmm…" the boy's lips moved weakly.

"Give him some oxygen," the doctor ordered.

One of the nurses put a clear plastic oxygen mask over the boy's nose and mouth and secured it behind his ears with a strap.

"Stand back. Give him some room so he doesn't panic."

Muttering softly, the others moved back, giving Dearka and Nicol a clear view. No one had noticed them there; all attention was fixed on the boy. His eyes slowly slid open, revealing pale violet orbs that concentrated dazedly on the ceiling.

"A…Athrun?" his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Athrun isn't here right now," the doctor said gravely.

Dearka and Nicol shared a surprised glance. The pilot and Athrun **did** know each other after all.

"W…where am I?"  
"You're on a ZAFT ship."

"No!!"

The boy tried to sit up, but groaned softly in pain and fell back down.

"Don't try and move. You've been hurt very badly. Just lay back and try to relax. We are not going to hurt you, I promise."

The boy sighed softly but allowed the doctor and nurses to finish taking care of him. After they were done, they left, leaving him alone with Dearka and Nicol. Neither one of them had the courage to step forward and talk to him. They stared at him and he stared at the ceiling, unaware of their presence. Nicol finally sighed softly and stepped forward. The boy obviously heard his footsteps; he looked at him, though he didn't say anything. Dearka hung back apprehensively.

"You don't need to be afraid. We're not going to hurt you. I'm Nicol and that's Dearka," Nicol said quietly.

He pointed at Dearka, who seemed to be holding his tongue for the moment.

"We're the pilots of two of the ZAFT Mobile Suits." The boy was silent. "Can I ask you your name?"

"K…Kira," the boy whispered. "Kira Yamato."

"Kira…" Nicol murmured, thinking hard, trying to remember where he had heard that name before.

Then, it came to him. He had heard Athrun sobbing Kira's name in his sleep, when he had thought no one was there, but he was.

"W…What's wrong?" Kira asked, realizing that Nicol was staring at him blankly.

"Nothing. It's just…" Nicol sighed softly. There was no way to avoid it now. "You know Athrun Zala, the pilot of the Aegis, don't you?"

"Kira stare at him in shock for a moment before his face softened. "Yes. I know him."

"How?" Dearka asked, speaking for the first time.

"He and I…were close friends once."

"So you're a Coordinator?"

Kira paused. "Yes."

"Then why the hell were you with the Earth Forces?" Dearka demanded.

Nicol silenced him with a glance.

"Tell us how you and Athrun met," he said softly.

"We…we met at school. We went to the same school on the moon. He moved to the PLANT and I was supposed to follow, but I didn't want to get involved with the war and…and I moved to Heliopolis, a neutral territory. I…I didn't know he had joined ZAFT until we met up on Heliopolis. I…I didn't mean to join the fight. I…I never wanted to fight." 

Tears stung his eyes.

"We're not blaming you for anything," Nicol said soothingly. "We're just trying to understand the situation."

Kira bit his lip and tried to force back his tears.

"W…where's Athrun?" he finally asked.

Nicol shifted uncomfortably. "He's talking to Commander Le Creuset. We…we don't know what's going on. I think…I think he's in trouble for bringing you on board. I don't know."

"Why don't you go and find out?" Dearka asked.

Nicol stared at him. "B…b…but."

"You don't have to worry. I'm not going to go berserk and try to kill him like Yzak nearly killed Athrun."

He flashed Nicol a reassuring smile.

"W…what?" Kira stammered.

"Yzak. He's the other pilot. He's a bit hotheaded and can be a real prick sometimes. He was seriously pissed off that Athrun brought you on board and saved your life because he thought you were a Natural, but he didn't know that you're not," Dearka explained.

"Oh."

"Don't worry. We're not going to let Yzak get to you." Kira was silent.

Nicol turned and, after throwing one final worried glance at Kira and Dearka, went to find Athrun.

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He didn't find the dark-haired boy anywhere and when he asked crew members, they told him that he was still talking to Le Creuset. He ended up loitering outside the closed door of Le Creuset's office for nearly an hour before the door slid open. He straightened up from where he was leaning against the wall next to the door and watched as Athrun exited alone. His dark hair hung down, making it impossible for Nicol to see his face. His head was bent over and his eyes were lowered to the ground dejectedly.

"Athrun?" he asked softly.

Athrun jumped and looked up. There was a strange look on his face.

"Nicol…" he murmured.

"What's going on Athrun?" he asked quietly. "You can tell me."

"Nicol I…I have to go to a disciplinary hearing for disobeying orders again and endangering the Gamow by bringing an enemy on board. My punishment may be anything from imprisonment to death." Athrun blinked back tears.

Nicol gasped in horror and his hand flew to his mouth.

"The council is not pleased with my actions and even though Commander Le Creuset has tried to explain the situation to them, they're not buying it. There's a lot of political stuff that I don't understand," Athrun continued.

"And what about your friend?"

Athrun stared at him. "H…how do you know about that?!"

"He told me. I already knew he was a Coordinator…I guessed, but I was pretty sure that he was a Coordinator because he survived the explosion."

Athrun sighed softly, the tears he was trying to force back running down his face.

"Athrun?"

"He's going to be executed for being a traitor."

To be continued…

A/N: 1/29/07-Minor edits have been made to the text. Breaks have been placed to show a passage of time and large chunks of paragraph have been broken apart. Also, some minor grammatical errors have been corrected.


	3. Faded Memories

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 3 Faded Memories

"Oh my god," Nicol breathed, staring at Athrun's tear-stained face. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm the sorry one. I never should have brought him on board in the first place," Athrun murmured, shaking his head.

"Well you didn't know that he was going to be executed. It isn't your fault."

"I couldn't…I couldn't shoot him. I…I tried, but I couldn't. I'm so weak!"

Athrun closed his eyes and sobbed quietly.

"He's your best friend Athrun!!" Nicol yelled loudly. "How the hell could you shoot your best friend, huh? Someone you care deeply about?" Athrun opened his eyes and stared at him. "I know Athrun. I know what he means to you. I've heard you…crying his name night after night in your sleep, pleading for him to come over to our side so you won't have to shoot him. I know you love him. I can feel it."

"I'm engaged to Lacus Clyne," Athrun said shortly, turning away.  
"But you love him. Don't deny it. That's why you wouldn't shoot him. You…love…him," tears ran down Nicol's face.

Athrun ignored his words and pushed past him. Nicol stayed where he was, trying to compose himself. Athrun wandered around the ship until he came to the Infirmary. He was unsure of why he was there. Kira was there. He shook his head. He was engaged to Lacus Clyne. He punched the code to the door and the door slid open. Breathing heavily, he entered. The scene in front of him made him stop and stare. Kira was lying in the only occupied bed in the room among a pile of bandages. Dearka was sitting next to the bed. When he heard the door slide open, he turned, then rose when he saw Athrun.

"Athrun?" he asked softly. "What's wrong? You're really pale."

Athrun didn't answer. He closed his eyes, swaying on the spot.

"Athrun!" Dearka cried.

He rushed forward and seized Athrun by the arm and helped him to sit in the chair he had been previously sitting in.

"What's going on?"

"Kira…is going to be executed," Athrun whispered.

"What? Why?"

"He's a traitor as a coordinator who has sided with the Earth Forces."

"I'm so sorry."

"I wish I never would have brought him on board in the first place."

Dearka was surprised. "But he would have died if you hadn't saved him."

"I've sent him to his death."

Athrun put his hands in his face and wept softly.

"A…Athrun?" Kira whispered, his eyes slowly opening.

Athrun gasped softly and looked up. His eyes rested on Kira.

"Kira…" he murmured.

"Athrun, why did you save me?" Kira asked.

"What?"

"Why did you save me? Why couldn't you shoot me down? I thought I meant nothing to you."

"I…I…I…" Athrun stammered. His face hardened. "Did you mean what you said? That you didn't belong anywhere?"

Kira hesitated. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't belong to the Earth Forces because I'm a Coordinator and I don't belong with ZAFT because I was with the Earth Forces. I'm considered a traitor to my people. A traitor."

Athrun's eyes welled with tears as he listened to Kira's words. Angrily, he shook his head and wiped them away. He was a ZAFT soldier, dammit. He had been to hell and back since he and Kira had been separated and watched two of his friends and fellow soldiers die in battle, one of them by Kira's own hands. He hated Kira's guts, but yet…he had had the chance to shoot him down, but he couldn't. It was all overwhelming. He needed time…space to sort it all out. As if in a dream, he walked out of the Infirmary before Dearka or Kira had a chance to protest.

He wandered aimlessly to his bedroom and sat down on his bed. It was empty and quiet; he had shared a room with Rusty, but now that he was gone…he shook his head violently. He couldn't think about that; it'd only made him feel worse than he was already feeling. Restlessly, he rose and started walking again; the room made him feel trapped, probably because he kept having nightmares. That was another thing he didn't understand; why he was continually having nightmares, mostly about Kira.

He found himself in the hangar and watched as the technicians worked on the Strike, though he wasn't sure of how they were managing that. He scowled as he looked up at the Strike. It was the cause of all this trouble. He couldn't stand looking at it anymore and walked away. He aimlessly wandered through the halls again, hoping that he could avoid the others as much as he could. Unfortunately, he came across Yzak who was in a bad mood.

"You fucking bastard! I hope you're murdered for bringing a fucking Natural on our ship!" he spat, pinning Athrun up against the wall once more.

"H…he's not," Athrun choked.

"What?" Yzak demanded, releasing Athrun so he could speak.

"He's…not a Natural. He's a Coordinator," Athrun managed to say, massaging his throat.

Yzak swung his fist around and it caught Athrun in the side of the face. "You…brought…a traitor on board?!" He swung his fist around again.

Athrun, who could have dodged it if he wanted to, stayed put and let Yzak's fist slam into his cheek again. Blood blossomed down his face from his nose, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. He'd rather be dead now…

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Nicol was worried. It had been hours since he had last seen Athrun and he was concerned that Yzak had gotten his hands on him. His worst fear came true as he rounded a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. He stared in horror at Athrun, who was lying in a heap on the floor, not moving at all.

"Athrun!" he cried softly. He ran forward and knelt down next to the huddled mass on the floor. As carefully as he could, he lifted Athrun up and turned him over. His face was a mess of cuts and bruises that made him hardly recognizable. "Oh my god Athrun! Help! Someone help!" His voice brought several officers running.

"What happened?" one of them asked.

They saw Athrun and stared. As carefully as they could, they lifted him up and carried him to the infirmary. When they entered, Dearka rose from his place next to Kira and stared at them through widened eyes.

"What happened?" he asked as Athrun was brought to the bed next to Kira's.

"Yzak got hold of him before I could find him," Nicol answered grimly.

"But why?"

"He was angry that Kira was brought on board. He didn't know that he was a Coordinator."

"I…I told him," Athrun whispered weakly. Nicol and Dearka stared at him. "I…told him that Kira was a Coordinator but that made him even more upset. He called me a…a traitor. That's what I am. A traitor."

He closed his eyes and tears rolled down his face.

"A…Athrun," Kira stammered. Dearka and Nicol jumped. They hadn't realized that he had been watching. "If anyone's a traitor, it's me."

"You did what you had to in order to survive," Nicol said gently.

"I wish I was dead," Kira murmured. Nicol and Dearka looked at each other. "What? What is it?"

"Kira, they're going to execute you for being a traitor. We don't know when," Nicol said gently. Kira's face paled dramatically. He sucked in his breath and leaned back. "I'm sorry."

"And…does…does Athrun know?" Kira finally asked.

"He was the one who told us," Dearka answered.

Kira sighed softly. "I guess it's what I deserve."

He slowly drifted off into a deep sleep. None of the others dared to respond. True, Kira was the enemy, but they weren't sure if they were going to be able to see one of their fellow Coordinators; one of their own people get sent to his death. Both of them were torn about what to do, but no one could have been as torn as Athrun. They realized this as they stared down at the two sleeping boys, but everything seemed so hopeless.

They were helpless to do anything to save Kira and possibly Athrun.

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. My computer ate half of this chapter and I lost my inspiration to work on this for a while because of that. Being on vacation with no Internet access doesn't really help.

1/29/08-Breaks have been added in here as well and the paragraphs have been split up. I changed a word or two because I used the same word in the same sentence and it was really annoying.


	4. A Question of Loyalty

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4 A Question of Loyalty

Athrun stood on the bridge of the Versaillius staring out at the ZAFT headquarters as they docked one week after Kira had been brought on board. The said Earth Forces pilot was standing beside him silently, also staring out at the ZAFT headquarters. His face was completely neutral so it was hard to tell what he was feeling.

He was dressed in the clothes he had been wearing underneath his pilot's suit when he had been brought aboard, although they had been cleaned and mended before being returned to him. They consisted of the Earth Forces uniform, which was quite like the ZAFT uniform but a light blue color and with a slightly different design. He looked much older in that uniform, almost an adult. His wrists had been handcuffed together as a precaution, although Athrun knew that Kira was not going to do anything.

They waited for nearly an hour before they were let off the ship and Kira was taken away to a detention facility to await his hearing the next morning. Athrun, on the other hand, went to a private room where he was to stay until Kira's hearing, then his own.

He had just stepped in the shower when the phone rang. Annoyed, he switched the shower off, wrapped himself in a towel, and went to answer it. He instantly regretted this; on the screen was his fiancée, Lacus Clyne, who instantly giggled when she saw his appearance.

"Hello Athrun. Am I interrupting anything?" she asked.

"No, not really. I was just gonna shower," Athrun answered with a blush.  
"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing. You've been all over the news."  
"I have?" Athrun asked blankly.

"Oh yes. There's a huge uproar because you took a Coordinator on board who was siding with the Earth Forces. He's your friend isn't he? Kira, was his name?"

"Yes that's right. Kira is the Coordinator they're talking about. He's going on trial tomorrow."

"I heard. They're most likely going to execute him, is that right?"

Athrun sighed softly. "Yes."

"That's terrible. He really is a nice person. He was so sad though."

"Why was he so sad?"

"He didn't want to fight you."

"Yeah."

"And what about you? You're going to go on trial too aren't you?"

"Yes, but there's a possibility that I might not be executed. But…" Athrun sighed softly. "Our engagement is probably ruined."

"Why's that?"

"Your father probably won't want you to marry me now that I've become a traitor."

"I think it's silly that you won't be married because of this, but if we aren't married, it's a shame because you're a very kind person, just like Kira. Can we still be friends?"

Athrun smiled. "Of course."

Lacus smiled.

"I should probably let you get back to your shower. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay." They said goodbye and Athrun turned the screen off.

He went back into the bathroom and took his shower in peace. When he had finished, he dressed in a fresh ZAFT uniform, dried his hair, and laid down on his bed to rest. He didn't sleep much, however; Kira kept coming in and out of his dreams.

Finally, he got up at about nine because someone was knocking on the door. Grumbling softly, he answered it and found Nicol standing there.

"Nicol?" he asked confused.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," Nicol said softly. "You were having a nightmare, weren't you?"

"How did you know that ?"

"I've been hearing you for the past couple weeks crying and sobbing in your sleep. You've been having nightmares about Kira."

Athrun hesitated. "Yes. They're always about him. I don't understand why though."

"You love him."

"I don't love him."

"Yes you do. You just don't know it yet."

"So what if I do love him? What can I do?"

"Tell him."

"But he's going to die!"

"At least he'll die knowing the truth."

"But how do I tell him? When?"

"Tomorrow right before the trial. Just…tell him. It'll make you feel better."

"All right Nicol. Thanks."

"No problem," Nicol smiled. "See you in the morning."

"Good night."

Athrun closed the door and went back to bed. This time, he fell asleep at once and went back to bed.

All throughout breakfast the next morning, Athrun pondered what he was going to say to Kira. The other pilots were silent; Yzak clearly wasn't speaking to Athrun and Dearka and Nicol didn't know what to say.

Finally, the time came for the hearing and the pilots were escorted to where it was being held. They met up with Kira in one of the long corridors, who was still handcuffed and still had a neutral look on his face. There was a large bruise on one of his cheeks and it made Athrun suspicious of ill-treatment. He took a couple deep breaths as he waited for an elevator.

The doors finally slid open and Kira and Athrun were ushered inside by some haughty-looking guards. Dearka, Nicol, Yzak, Le Creuset, Ades, and the rest of the crew had to wait for the next one; the elevator was small and filled up fast. The doors slid closed and one of the guards pressed a button. The elevator rose and Athrun finally found his courage.

"Kira?" he asked, turning to the brown-haired boy beside him.

"Yeah?" Kira turned to look at him.

"I…I love you."

"What?!" Kira's face showed nothing but shock and confusion.

"I love you. I just thought you should know that before you die."

Kira said nothing as the elevator doors slid open and they went out where the council was waiting. They were arranged just as Athrun had seen them the last time he had been in there, though none of them looked very happy.

In fact, several of them scowled when they saw Kira. He lifted his head up high and walked with dignity. He sat where the guards told him to sit and was silent. Athrun sat next to him, also silent. He received no recognition from his father or Lacus Clyne's father. They were quickly joined by Le Creuset and the others and the council began.

"Is that the prisoner?" one of them asked, pointing at Kira.

"Yes," Le Creuset nodded.

"Step forward please." Kira rose and walked forward.

Some of the council members gasped and murmured softly upon seeing his young face. "State your name."  
"Kira Yamato," Kira said without any trace of fear in his voice.

"How old are you?"  
"Sixteen."

"And you are a Coordinator?"

"Yes."

This brought about more murmuring. Yzak's face darkened.

"Where did you live prior to joining the Earth Forces?"

" Heliopolis. I was a student." 

There were more murmurs and uncomfortable glances. The questioning went on. Kira answered them in a calm and polite but cool tone The council also questioned the rest of the crew, including Le Creuset, Ades, and all the pilots. Athrun was the last one they questioned.

"You are Athrun Zala, correct?"

"That is correct."

"And you were the one who brought the Coordinator on board?"

"Yes."  
"Why?"

"Kira is…an old friend of mine. We've been friends since we were kids. We went to the same lunar prep school on the moon and afterwards, we separated. I went to the PLANTs and he went to Heliopolis. When we met up again, he was with the Earth Forces, piloting the machine we were unable to capture.

"I'll admit that I was reluctant to shoot him down. I always felt that he could be persuaded to join our side because he was one of us. There was no reason for him to be with the Earth Forces. He wouldn't listen…"

Kira felt his mind floating away as he listened to Athrun's explanation of the incident with Lacus Clyne and then the most recent incident that lead to his capture. He didn't snap back to attention until one of the council members said, "Very well. The council will now deliberate the Coordinator's fate. You will have our answer in a couple of hours."

Le Creuset nodded and showed Athrun and the others out. Kira was escorted back to his cell by several guards. Athrun sat silently on the edge of his bed for the longest time. He already knew the council's verdict before it came.

Nicol was the one who brought him the news. He didn't say anything at first, but Athrun knew by the sad look on his face. Tears formed in the dark-haired boy's eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Athrun," Nicol whispered, tears sticking to his long eyelashes.

"When are they executing him?"

"T…tomorrow morning at nine. Why?"

Athrun didn't answer. He appeared to be deep in thought. "Athrun?"

"There's not much time. Will you help me?"

"Of course!"

"There's a chance that you'll get in trouble."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go to the harbor and get the Gamow ready for take-off."

"You're going to steal the Gamow?!"

"I'm going to borrow it for a little while. They'll get it back…eventually."

"Okay."  
"Make sure you stay out of sight."  
"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get Kira. We're getting the hell out of here."

"But where will you go?"

"Kira said that he had friends on that ship of his. I think I'll bring him back to them."

"But what about you?"

Athrun shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Either way, I'm dead. At least my conscious will be cleared."

Nicol sighed softly. "I wish it didn't have to come down to this."  
"Well it has, hasn't it? I'm sorry, but my loyalties lie with Kira and not ZAFT. That much is clear to me now."

Nicol regarded him through sad eyes. "I understand. Your loyalty is to your heart, as mine is to my heart."

"It's better for me to be dead in the hands of the enemy than dead by the hands of my own people."

"Is it?" Nicol asked quietly.

He turned and walked out of Athrun's room. It was nearly midnight when he got to the Gamow. Getting in was no problem; there were no guards this late at night and they obviously didn't think that anyone would steal the two ships. He found the control booth on the bridge easily enough and got everything ready. Athrun arrived not soon after that, supporting a half-conscious Kira.

"They drugged him," he said angrily, gently helping Kira to sit in one of the chairs on the bridge.

"Will you two be all right?" Nicol asked anxiously.

"We'll be fine," Athrun said soothingly. "I know how to pilot this thing well enough to get us to our destination. You'd better go so that they don't know that you were involved."

"Athrun," Nicol paused. His features softened. "Please be careful."

Athrun smiled. "Of course."

Nicol glanced anxiously back at them one more time before hurrying back to his room. That was when the guilt began. It was quickly too much for him and as he listened to the sound of alarms and raised voices in the hall, he wrote a note, went into the bathroom, and locked the door. Soon, it would be all over with and the guilt would be gone.

To be continued…

A/N: 1/29/08-The first paragraph has been split up into four smaller paragraphs. I didn't realize it was so long until I went back just now and read through it again! Lacus's line about it being sad that Kira was being executed was altered a bit to make it sound better. I didn't realize that the line, "This time, he fell asleep at once and went back to bed" was put in there twice so I deleted the extra line. I decided to put in at least a little bit of Athrun's explanation to the council. I think it's better this way. A few grammatical errors where I forgot to put in quotation marks either at the beginning or end of a dialogue have been fixed.


	5. In the Hands of the Enemy

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: (crawls out of dark hole) I'm sorry for not updating for six months, more or less. I'm pathetic, huh? I lost my inspiration for this for the longest time. But then I found the episodes online so I can watch them for free and now I have my inspiration back. Don't kill me!!

Chapter 5 In the Hands of the Enemy

Dearka pounded on Nicol's door for what seemed like ages. He was worried; he hadn't been seen since he had gone to tell Athrun the news of Kira's execution and he wasn't answering his phone. He stepped back and waited as Le Creuset punched in the code that manually unlocked the door. It slid open with a mechanical hiss and he, Le Creuset, and Yzak hurried inside. The room was empty, but the bathroom door was locked.

"Nicol? Nicol are you all right?" Dearka demanded, pounding on the door. There was no answer.

"Stand back," Le Creuset ordered. Dearka backed away and stood next to Yzak as Le Creuset kicked the door in. It fell down with a mighty crash and Le Creuset rushed in. Yzak and Dearka glanced at each other before following. They stopped dead in their tracks. The room stank of blood and it was everywhere. There was some streaked on the bathtub, walls, toilet, and even the mirror, but most of it was pooled around Nicol's pale, limp body. He was lying face down with his head pointed towards the bathtub, his standard-issue knife clutched tightly in his fist. Le Creuset, who had been squatting down next to him and had had two fingers on the boy's neck sighed softly and rose.

"He is dead," he said with a shake of his head. "But why? Why would he do such a thing?" The words hit Dearka like a load of bricks. He swayed unsteadily on the sop, reaching for something, anything to keep him upright.

"Dearka!" Yzak cried softly. He reached out and grabbed Dearka's arm. His cry seemed to snap Le Creuset out of his musings. He turned around and saw Yzak supporting a collapsing Dearka.

"Get him out of here!" He snapped at Yzak, pointing to Dearka. Yzak nodded and half dragged Dearka out of the bathroom. They didn't stop until they had reached his own room. Yzak forced him to sit on the edge of his bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Dearka nodded. "There was…so much blood. It was everywhere. And the smell…" he shivered lightly. "It's not like I haven't seen blood before--I've seen way too much of it. But with Nicol…" He shivered again.

"It's going to be okay," Yzak murmured. "You're going to be okay." Dearka shook his head, but couldn't find the words to say. A while later, Le Creuset came in to check on Dearka. He was trembling slightly.

"Commander Le Creuset, Athrun Zala has stolen the Gamow!" an officer ran into the room.

"What?!" Le Creuset turned around. Dearka and Yzak gasped softly.

"He took Strikes pilot and left with the Gamow. We're currently trying to find them, but it looks like they've gotten a pretty good head start on us."  
"I want you to calculate all possible routes for the Gamow and let me know what you find immediately."  
"Yes sir." The soldier saluted and left.

"Athrun you bastard," Yzak growled softly.

"I can't believe he'd do something like that," Dearka said thoughtfully.

"I wonder…" Le Creuset murmured.

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The warning alarms on the Archangel rang loudly.

"What's going on?" Captain Ramius asked, coming onto the bridge.

"I'm not sure," one of the officers answered.

"Attention Archangel. This is Athrun Zala, the pilot of the Aegis. I am bringing both the Strike and the Aegis to you. Please cut your engines," a voice crackled over the radio.

"Athrun Zala, what about the pilot of the Strike?" Captain Ramius asked.

"Kira is here with me. He'll be returning to you as well."  
"What about yourself."  
"I surrender."

"Captain, what should we do?" Ensign Bageruil asked.

"I don't know.'  
"Captain Ramius, this is Kira Yamato."  
"Kira?!"  
"You can trust Athrun. He means you no harm."

"Very well. Lt. La Flaga will meet you in the Mobile Armor. You will hand Kira and the Strike over to Lt. La Flaga and then surrender yourself and be escorted to the Archangel. Is this all right?" There was a pause.  
"I agree. Kira will come to you and then I will surrender. Please stand by."  
"Very well." Captain Ramius turned to where Lt. La Flaga was waiting in the shadows. "Please board the Mobile Armor and escort the Aegis to the Archangel."

"Yes ma'am," Lt. La Flaga saluted and left.

"Are you sure you want to trust him?" Ensign Bageruil asked.

"For some reason, I have the feeling that we can trust him." Ensign Bageruil growled softly under her breath but did not argue.

Lt. La Flaga launched the Mobile Armor and waited patiently in space. A few minutes later, he saw the Strike come into view. It had initially been badly damaged in the battle with the ZAFT soldiers, but it looked like it had been partially rebuilt.

"Kira? Is that you?" Lt. La Flaga asked.

"Yes it is. I'm all right," Kira answered. The sound of Kira's voice made him smile.

"Good. See ya aboard the Archangel."

"Yes sir." The Strike passed the Mobile Armor and made its way back to the Archangel. Then the Aegis appeared. It slowed down as it approached the Mobile Armor.

"Athrun Zala I presume," Lt. La Flaga said.

"Yes, that's right."

"All right. You go first and I'll come behind you. Don't try anything funny. I'm warning you."

"Don't worry. I have no intention of fighting you." Lt. La Flaga was surprised at how calm the boy sounded.

"All right." He escorted the Aegis back to the Archangel and immediately got out. The Strike was already emptied of its pilot and the said chocolate-haired boy was being surrounded by everyone in the hanger.

"I'm all right, really," he was saying over and over again as Lt. La Flaga approached him.

"Hey kid," Lt. La Flaga smiled. "I'm glad to see you're okay." Kira smiled as well. Then, the smile quickly faded away as he turned towards the Aegis. As the door slowly lowered, guards with guns swarmed around it.

"Come out with your hands up behind your head or we'll shoot you!" One of them ordered.

"All right, all right I'm coming," a voice said, annoyed. A figure dressed in a ZAFT flight suit appeared with his hands behind his head. As he jumped out of the cockpit and neatly landed on the ground, they could see that he was just a kid. Even though they already knew this, it was still quite a shock to see. He was rather handsome with long bluish black hair and stunning emerald green eyes. His calm expression never faltered even though there were multiple guns pointed at him. The captain and other officers came down from the bridge.

"You are the pilot of the Aegis?" Captain Ramius asked.

"Yes ma'am I am he," the boy answered.

"And you surrender?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Captain Ramius turned to the guards. "Escort him to the prison area."

"Yes ma'am," the guards saluted.

One poked Athrun in the back with the gun. "Let's go."

"No, don't!" Kira protested running forward.

"It's all right, Kira," the boy said softly. Kira stopped running and stared at the dark-haired boy in shock.

"Ath…run?" he breathed lightly. Their eyes locked and Athrun smiled.

"It's okay," he repeated. He passively followed the guards away. As he passed Kira's friends who were near the door, one of the girls and one of the boys scowled. Athrun calmly gazed at them. Then, he was gone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I told you for the last time that I'm fine!" Kira protested loudly as he sat the sick bay, a doctor trying to examine him.

"Stop being stubborn Kira and just let him examine you," Tolle snapped. Kira rolled his eyes. He and the doctor vanished behind the curtain.

"Kuzzey, would you mind taking the prisoner his food today?" Sai asked as the two boys went up to the cafeteria later in the day.

"Uh…why?" Kuzzey asked.

Sai sighed softly. "Tolle was supposed to do it, but he's up in the sick bay with Kira and so is Mirallia and Flay won't go anywhere near him."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"  
"Why can't you take him his food yourself?"  
"I…uh…" Sai sighed softly again. "Look, just do it okay? Please?"

"All right," Kuzzey nodded. After he had eaten, he grabbed the tray of food that was designated for Athrun and took it down to the prison area. He took a deep breath before approaching the cell where the boy was being held.

"Um…hello?" he asked, slowly stepping forward. "A…Athrun?"  
"Yeah?" said a cool voice from the shadows.

"I brought you your lunch," Kuzzey stepped forward again and slid the tray of food under the bars.

"Thanks," the boy said. He slowly came out of the shadows.

"Hey um…can I ask you something?" Kuzzey asked.

"Sure."

"You were Kira's friend?"  
"Yes. He and I went to the same school on the moon. When we separated, he was supposed to follow me to the Plants, which is where…Coordinators lived, but then…the war broke out. The next time I met him, we were on opposite sides of the battlefield."  
"Oh. I see. Um…why…why did you bring him back?" Athrun's face darkened and he didn't say anything. Kuzzey started to leave.

"They were…" Athrun started to say. Kuzzey stopped and turned around. "They were…going to kill him for being a traitor. I had to do something. I couldn't let them kill him." Kuzzey felt tears in his eyes. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Sighing softly, he left the pilot alone with his thoughts.

Up on the bridge, the officers were having a serious discussion.

"So what are we going to do?" Lt. La Flaga asked.

"Actually, I'm not sure," Captain Ramius admitted. "It's a trick situation because he willingly surrendered to us without putting up a fight."  
"Hey, do you think that ZAFT would consider him a traitor now that he's gone and done this?" Lt. La Flaga asked.

"What do you mean?"  
"Well, he brought us not only the Strike but the Aegis as well. Somehow, I get the feeling that he didn't have permission to do that."

"But why? Why would he do such a thing?"

"I don't know. We have no idea of what went on while Kira was being held prisoner by ZAFT."

"The name Zala rings a bell for some reason, though I can't think of why."

"Yes, I agree. The name is familiar."

"So what are we going to do with him?" Lt. La Flaga asked again.

"Right now, nothing. We'll have to get in touch with the proper authorities and go from there."  
"All right." Most of the officers went back to their work.

"Captain, that name Zala is bugging me like crazy. I know I should remember where I heard it before, but I don't," Lt. La Flaga said in a low voice.

"I know," Captain Ramius smiled. "It's bugging me too. I've ordered a little research to be done to see if anything can be dug up about him."

"Captain, I found the information you wanted on the boy," an officer suddenly appeared, saluting.

"That was fast," Captain Ramius said in surprise.

"It was not hard to find information at all. It's not good though."  
"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, Athrun Zala is the son of Chairman Patrick Zala."

"He's what?!" Captain Ramius gasped.

"Oh shit," Lt. La Flaga breathed. "So you're telling me that we have the kid of Patrick Zala on board?!"

"Yes, I know what that implies too," Captain Ramius said sadly.

"Begging your pardon ma'am, but what does Patrick Zala have to do with any of this?" the officer who had brought the information asked.

Captain Ramius and Lt. La Flaga both stared at him in shock. "You mean you don't know who Patrick Zala is?"

"Uh…no," the officer answered. "Should I?"  
"Well, yes. Patrick Zala is the leader of ZAFT now. It was only a recent appointment but he is now in charge of ZAFT's forces," Lt. La Flaga explained.  
"Wow," the officer breathed.

"Although Patrick Zala is Athrun's father, he made the personal decision to surrender to us," Captain Ramius said.

"Yes, that's true."

"Ma'am, there's something else you should know," the officer said, sounding slightly nervous.

"What is it?" Captain Ramius asked.

"His mom died in the Junius Seven incident."

"What?!"

"Oh man," Lt. La Flaga said, shaking his head. "What are the chances of that?"

"Thank you," Captain Ramius turned away. "He has all the reasons to hate the Earth Alliance but yet here he is willingly surrendering to us. It doesn't make sense," she said more to herself than to the others.

Lt. La Flaga heard. "With all due respect captain, I think there is some sense we can make out of his actions."  
"Oh?" Captain Ramius raised her eyebrows.

"This pilot and Kira were friends once, right?"

"Well, that's what we heard."  
"So it would make sense if he would go to great lengths to protect his friend, right?"  
"Well…"

"I think it makes sense that Athrun would return Kira to us, though I'm not quite sure of why he would surrender unless…" he quickly broke off.

"Unless what?"

Lt. La Flaga quickly glanced at her. "I'll be right back." He quickly left.

"Lt. La Flaga wait!" Captain Ramius protested, but it was too late. Captain Ramius sighed softly and rubbed her temples. Meanwhile, Lt. La Flaga silently rushed down the corridors towards the prison area. He did not stop to think until he had reached his destination. Then, he proceeded cautiously into the prison area, which was thankfully deserted. He stopped outside the cell where the Aegis's pilot was being held, Athrun was his name.

"Hey, uh Athrun?" he asked.

"Yeah?" came the surprisingly calm voice from the shadows.

"I would like to talk to you. I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga," Lt. La Flaga said, stepping forward.

"Okay…"  
"I want to ask you something. Why did you surrender yourself? Is it because you can't go back to ZAFT because you'll be executed for being a traitor?" The boy gave an audible gasp.

"How did you…?" Lt. La Flaga didn't answer. "Is that all you wanted me to answer?"  
"No, there's one other thing."  
"All right."

"Do you love Kira?" Athrun was silent. "Well, do you?" Athrun was still silent. "Don't think I didn't see that look you gave him as you were being taken away."

Athrun sighed softly. "Yes, I do love him."  
"So what's wrong? He doesn't feel the same way about you?"  
"Yes! I mean…I don't know," Athrun's voice rose slightly.

"So you told him."  
"Yes."  
"And he didn't say anything?"  
"No. He didn't."  
"Well that might not be a bad thing."  
"Why are you asking me this anyway?"

"For a while now, I've had to listen to Kira muttering in his sleep and your name comes up."  
"It does?"  
"Yeah. A lot. I was just wondering because somehow I have the feeling that he loves you."  
"Oh."  
"Well, I'd better get back before the captain bites my head off." Without saying anything more, Lt. La Flaga left, leaving Athrun to his thoughts once more.

To be continued…

A/N: Again, I'm SO sorry for the long delay in updating. Don't kill me please (runs and hides)


	6. The Decision

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the plot.

A/N: a big thanks to Ishie who pointed out Athrun's hair color. To me, it looked black but I guess it looks sort of bluish too. At times, it even looked really purple. But thank you! I did fix some of the grammatical errors that I found. I wish I knew what I was looking for, though. Don't be afraid to point out any grammatical or other errors I make, especially with spellings. I'll change them right away. I want to get it right!!

Chapter 6 The Decision

The entire ship seemed to be silent as they made their way to the rendezvous point with the orbital fleet. Everyone seemed very relieved that they had finally made it. Kuzzey and Sai chatted over lunch. Miriallia and Tolle were both on duty, and Flay and Kira were both nowhere to be seen.

"What about Kira?" Kuzzey asked. "He's gotten mixed up in a bunch of stuff now so do you think he'll be let off? And what about his friend? What's going to happen to him? Will he be executed? Or just imprisoned?" Kuzzey fell silent when he realized that Kira had walked into the room. The chocolate-haired boy was silent as he crossed the room and went to get something to eat. Soft footsteps made everyone look up and Sai rose, looking alarmed when Flay shyly entered the room.

"Flay!" he cried. He ran to Flay's side. "Are…are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting?"  
"I'm fine," Flay said stiffly. Sai and Kuzzey both stared as she walked right up to Kira. "Kira…I just wanted to apologize for what I said…I said things I shouldn't have said. I want you to know that I'm sorry and…I'm very glad you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if I lost you too." Tears filled Flay's eyes.  
Kira smiled rather sadly. "It's all right."

Suddenly, there was a disturbance on the bridge.

"What's going on?" Lt. Ramius asked.

"N-jammer levels are increasing," one of the officers answered. It was **not** what any of them wanted to hear.

"All hands level one battle stations!" Lt. Ramius ordered.

"The Laurasia class is approaching. Thermal patterns identified…it's the Duel and the Buster," the same officer reported.

"Damn it all," Ensign Bageruil growled. "Just moments before our rendezvous!"

"All hands to level one battle stations!" An officer called over the loudspeaker. Sai, Kira, and Kuzzey hurried away. Kira, not noticing where he was going, ran into a little girl on the way out of the cafeteria and knocked her to the ground. He stopped and turned back around.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Are you all right?" He bent down to help her up but Flay was faster.

"I'm so sorry. Kira wasn't watching where he was going. He didn't mean to knock you down," she said, helping the girl up. Kira made sure the little girl was really all right before rushing off. He could hear what Flay was telling her, but tried to block it from his head.

"We're going to be all right...Kira is protecting us…"

Ten minutes later, Kira and Lt. La Flaga were in the middle of a fierce battle. Both of them were taking on one of the mobile suits while the Archangel was trying to avoid being hit by the other. Yzak gritted his teeth and tried to focus. He tried to fire at the Mobile Armor only to nearly be destroyed by the Strike. He slashed at the Strike…but it vanished.

"What?!" he demanded. He turned around too late. The Strike came at him from behind and delivered a mighty blow to his cockpit. Sparks flew and the control panel exploded. He screamed and his Gundam fell backwards. Dearka abandoned his assault on the Archangel and rushed to his friend's side.

"Yzak are you okay?!" he asked. Yzak only screamed. "Damn it!" They retreated.

On board the Archangel's bridge, Lt. Ramius breathed a sigh of relief. The Strike landed on the Archangel. The Mobile Armor was soon to follow. They went back into the ship as the Archangel approached the fleet. The Archangel slowly turned around and backed up until it was side-by-side with the main ship of the fleet. The refugees from Heliopolis watched with sighs of relief.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to cruise alongside the Menelaos?" one of the officers asked, revolving his chair around to face the captain.  
"Admiral Halberton probably just wants to get a better look at the ship. He informed us later on that he'll be paying us a personal visit," Lt. Ramius answered. "As you're aware, Admiral Halberton was a staunch supporter in the creation of both this ship and the G-weapons."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The refugees of Heliopolis waited with their belongings outside the sleeping quarters, waiting to be transferred over to the Menelaos where they would board a shuttle for Earth.

"What's going to happen to us?" Kuzzey asked.

"We're going to disembark too," Miriallia answered with a smile. "We may be wearing these uniforms right now, but we're still civilians underneath."

Back on the bridge, Lt. Ramius was preparing to leave.

"Captain wait!" Ensign Bageruil protested, catching up to her. At the last second, she joined the captain in the elevator. "It's about the Strike." Ensign Bageruil waited until the doors had closed until she spoke. "Do you have any plans for it?"  
"Plans? What do you mean by plans?"

"Everyone on this ship knows it. The only reason why we've gotten this far is with the power of the Mobile Suits and _him_ piloting it. Are you letting _him_ go too?" Lt. Ramius sighed softly and exited the elevator as soon as the elevator doors slid open. She floated gracefully through the hallways. "Captain!" Ensign Bageruil protested, following.

"I know what you're getting at," Lt. Ramius finally said. "However, Kira Yamato is not an Earth Forces soldier."  
"I know but his abilities are invaluable to this ship. We cannot afford to lose them."

Lt. Ramius stopped halfway down the corridor and stared at Ensign Bageruil.

"Regardless of what potential he may bring to the military, we cannot force him to volunteer." She left Ensign Bageruil looking discontent.

Lt. Ramius found Kira in the garage with Lt. La Flaga, doing some hasty repairs to the Zero unit.

"What are we going to do about the Strike?" Kira asked. "Is it really okay to leave it as is?"

Lt. La Flaga looked surprised. "Yeah, good point. Never thought of that, but I'm not sure we should return it to its original state because that'll really limit its abilities."

"Well then, let's hope we'll be able to get someone to pilot it as is," Lt. Ramius smiled, floating over to them.

"Uh…captain?" Kira asked.  
"To what do we owe the honor?" Lt. La Flaga asked.

"Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to have a chat with Kira." Kira looked at her warily. "Oh don't give me that suspicious look of yours although I can't really say that I blame you." They floated away from the others and ended up on the walkway in front of the Strike. "I've hardly had a free moment so I haven't found the time to have a meaningful one-on-one with you."

Kira was silent and allowed Lt. Ramius to talk.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you properly this time."

Kira looked at her, surprised.

"I'm well aware that I've put you through a great deal of hardship and I'm truly grateful for what you've done for us."

She bowed. Kira looked on, still too surprised to say anything.

"I've put a lot on your shoulders and made you give us your all. I can't thank you enough."

"I…uh, it's okay captain," Kira stammered as Lt. Ramius straightened up.

"The others may not say it to your face, but each of us is deeply grateful. The way things are going, I can imagine that things will be hectic. But best of luck." She held out her hand. Kira stared at it, then shook it.

"Lt. Ramius, there's something I need to ask you," he said softly when he had released her hand.

"Yes Kira?"

It had been bugging him for a while now. "What…what's going to happen to Athrun?"

Lt. Ramius sighed softly. "I'm not quite sure myself, to tell you the truth. We're meeting up with the proper authority as soon as Admiral Halberton comes on board and his fate will be discussed then."  
"Oh. Okay." Kira looked slightly crestfallen.

Lt. Ramius hesitated, trying to word her thoughts properly. "He…means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

Kira hesitated. "Yes. We were best friends once. I assume the others told you?"  
"Yes. However, that does not change the fact that he is a member of ZAFT…"  
"Lt. Ramius, he saved my life! He willingly brought me back here knowing that there was no turning back. He willingly betrayed his own people so that I could live!"

"Yes Kira, I know," Lt. Ramius said, a hardened expression on her face. The expression softened as she stared into Kira's determined face. "I'll see what I can do for him."  
"Thank you," Kira said softly.

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A shuttle carefully made its way into the docking bay of the Archangel. Admiral Halberton disembarked, a tall blonde man in his late thirties or early forties (A/N: this is only an estimate) with a mustache. He was surrounded by his guard. The crew of the Archangel waited in front, the top three officers saluting respectfully. Kira and the others waited behind several feet, with the mechanics behind them. Last of all was Athrun with his hands handcuffed behind his back surrounded by his usual armed guard. Lt. Ramius and Admiral Halberton spoke warmly to each other. Ensign Bageruil and Lt. La Flaga made themselves known and were greeted warmly. Then the admiral's eyes went to the crowd in the back.

"Oh, and who do we have here?" he asked.

Lt. Ramius followed the man's gaze and smiled. "Sir, these are the students from Heliopolis. They've been helping with the operation of the ship."

Admiral Halberton floated over to the tightly knit group.

"We've been doing some checking on the families of each one of you and everyone is safe," he said. Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey, Miriallia, and Kira sighed softly in relief. "We'd like to extend our gratitude to you during this crisis and I'd like to extend my thanks as well."  
"Uh sir, we don't have much time," one of the officers whispered into Admiral Halberton's ear.

"Yes, just a minute," he said impatiently. He turned to Lt. Ramius. "Lieutenant, I received the _other_ report you submitted."  
"Ah, yes," Lt. Ramius caught on quickly. She turned to the group. "You may bring him forward." There was a low murmur as the group parted and Athrun was led forward, surrounded by the armed men. Athrun received many glares, but he simply ignored them and held his head high in dignity. Lt. Ramius wasn't finished. "Kira, could you come too?"

"Uh…yeah," Kira nodded, surprised. He followed the top officers and Athrun and his guard out of the garage.

He stood out of the way with Athrun while the others discussed the situation. Occasionally, he caught words like "Heliopolis", "Alaska", "victory" and "Strike. He listened harder when they started talking about him. He was surprised when Lt. Ramius said, "he has already suffered enough by fighting his own people. And…"

"Ah yes, the ZAFT fighter you were able to capture," Admiral Halberton said smoothly. So they had come to Athrun.

"We didn't capture him…" Lt. La Flaga said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, yes, he willingly surrendered. Isn't that what your report said?"

"Yes sir," Lt. Ramius answered shortly. "Kira, acting without any such orders, went out in the Strike and confronted his friend Athrun. The resulting battle ended with his capture by ZAFT. However, Athrun Zala risked his life to bring Kira back to us safely and willingly surrendered both himself and the Aegis to us. Acting under proper protocol, we kept him detained until we received orders from the proper authority about what to do with him."

"Bring him forward," Admiral Halberton ordered, all earlier warmness dissipated from his voice. Athrun, accompanied by the guards. "You knew Kira Yamato before this?"

"Yes sir," Athrun answered, not with scorn but respect.

"How long?"  
"We went to school together on the moon. We separated soon after it was evacuated and didn't see each other again until the incident on Heliopolis."  
"I see. And after Kira Yamato was captured by ZAFT, why did you bring him back?"

Athrun hesitated. "Well I…" he took a deep breath. "They were going to execute him for being a traitor by teaming up with the Earth Forces. I didn't…I didn't want them to do that so I stole one of our ships that had the Mobile Suits on them and brought the Earth Forces back their Strike and also gave them the Aegis."

"You did so knowing that you would be detained and face the possibility of execution?"

"NO!" Kira cried, but he was restrained.

"Yes," Athrun answered. "I was facing a trial for disobeying orders again." A ghostly smiled preyed upon his lips. "And it was a strong possibility that I was going to be executed. I decided that instead of letting my own people do it, I would let the enemy do it and in the process save Kira's life."

"He means that much to you?"

Athrun blushed slightly. "Yes."

"I see."

"Admiral, may I make a strange request?" Lt. La Flaga suddenly asked.

"What is it?"

"Instead of just killing the boy outright, I have another idea."  
"I'm listening."

"This war was essentially started because of the differences between Coordinators and Naturals. We got jealous of them, we persecuted them, they moved to space, we nuked one of their plants and murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people, which was the worst thing to do, by the way, and then they retaliated and we retaliated and now we're in the middle of a war that doesn't seem like it's ever going to end. My point is that this war was started because of intolerance. Maybe if we try to eliminate some of that intolerance, we can put a stop to this war."

"Exactly what are you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is that we do a little…experiment let's say. Instead of killing the boy, why not make him live among us Naturals for a while?"  
"That's insane! The reason why the Coordinators went to space was because they could not live with the Naturals!"  
"Yes, I know, but I'm talking on a much smaller scale. Just as an experiment. I know the Coordinators are sore from what we did to them with Junius Seven and that is something that's inexcusable but not all Naturals are like that. And likewise, not all Coordinators are eager for this war. I know that there's a way for us to coexist peacefully side by side without resorting to fighting."  
"If we executed him, it would only prove how heartless we really are," Lt. Ramius said quietly. "But if we let him live…within reason, it'll show that we're compassionate, but not completely soft."

"I'm not sure…" Admiral Halberton hesitated.  
"I'm not sure this will prove anything," Ensign Bageruil protested.

"That's not the problem. The problem is that while Lt. La Flaga's theory has merit, it's unclear if the Naturals would ever accept this and the Coordinators."  
"That's true, but this is only an experiment."

"I am prepared to die, if that's your decision," Athrun stated quietly.

"But it would be an unnecessary death. You haven't done anything wrong."  
"I've killed people in battle."  
"All of us have, kid. That's just a part of war," Lt. La Flaga said sadly.

"I don't deserve to live."

"Maybe you do, and maybe you don't. It seems that that's still to be decided. All right, Lt. La Flaga. I will let you run your experiment. If Lt. Ramius is up for it, that is."  
"I have no objections," Lt. Ramius said.

"Then the boy is to remain in your care as a non-commissioned officer. Perhaps a spot on the cleaning crew would suffice." His eyes gleamed wickedly.

"Captain, I must protest," Ensign Bageruil started, but she was cut off by Lt. Ramius.

"There is no need to worry. Athrun will be welcomed onto the ship by all." She glared, as if to say, 'or else'.

"And as for other matters, the Archangel is required to make its decent to Earth towards the Alaska base with its existing roster of personnel."

The Archangel was loaded with new supplies including two Skygrasper Mobile Suits. Civilians waited in the garage to board the shuttle to Earth. Meanwhile, Admiral Halberton ranted a little about how crucial it was to get the G-weapon to the Alaska base. The others agreed and they were dismissed. Athrun was released and went with Lt. Ramius to be fitted with a certain type of uniform. He wouldn't officially be working under the Earth Forces but he was required to wear a uniform all the same. He was not happy. Kira vanished. Meanwhile, Ensign Bageruil and one of the eighth fleet's officers handed Tolle, Miriallia, Sai, and Kuzzey discharge papers made up to avoid any problems. They were surprised when Flay suddenly stepped forward. She had not been involved in combat so was not required to go through the same procedures.

"What do you want?" Ensign Bageruil asked.

"I would like…to join the Earth Alliance Forces," Flay answered. The others gasped and stared at her.

"Uh…Flay?" Sai asked.

Kira stood on the walkway in front of the Strike. So many memories with it…both good and bad. He had thought an hour ago that he was leaving the Earth Forces for good, but now he wasn't so sure. Athrun was staying behind and now he wasn't sure if he wanted to leave his best friend. Athrun's decision to go along with what the Naturals were saying surprised him. He didn't think Athrun would have willingly joined the Earth Forces without reason. And something in his heart made him sad…sad to leave his best friend behind.

Flay gave a stirring speech about her father's death and the war that was still going on in space and on Earth. Sai and the others ended up ripping up their discharge papers and decided to stay behind.

Kira stood at the end of a long line waiting for the shuttle to Earth. He was still uneasy about leaving, though his heart still broke when he thought about fighting his own people, even though Athrun was no longer among them.

_I just can't fight my own people._ He thought. The little girl he had accidently bowled over suddenly floated towards him and hugged him around the middle, giggling.

"Thank you for protecting us," she said, handing him a paper flower she had obviously made herself.

Kira held the fragile flower between his fingers, staring at it.

He smiled. "Thank you." The girl ran back to her waiting mother.

Not far away, the two ZAFT vessels prepared for battle.

Kira received incredibly surprising news that his friends were volunteering their services for the Earth Forces after Flay's speech.

The two ZAFT vessels closed in.

Athrun grudgingly got to work cleaning the floors-one of the only jobs they seemed to trust him enough to do.

Alarms sounded throughout the ship.

"All hands level one battle stations! Repeat, all hands, level one battle stations!"

The last passengers boarded the shuttle.

"Hey we're leaving!" the guard snapped to Kira.

"Just a minute! He's coming!" Tolle cried. "Think of this as destiny," he whispered. "Make sure you get to Earth safely!" he pushed Kira towards the shuttle as he and the others left, shouting final farewells.

Kira hovered outside the shuttle, trembling as he looked at his discharge papers Tolle had given him and then the flower the little girl had given him.

"Hey kid if you're getting on, get on!" the guard snapped. Kira hesitated, torn. He closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds. Then, he opened them and crumpled up his discharge papers.  
"Please, go without me," he told the guard as he floated away, after throwing his crumpled up discharge papers carelessly over his shoulder. Something told him to stay, so he was going to stay.

To be continued…

A/N: I know that quite a bit of time passed from when Kira was last on the Archangel and that they should have met up with the fleet by then, but it's important that both of them are there when it happens so let's just say that it's taken a very long time for the Archangel to meet up with the fleet. Meh, sorry the battle scenes rather sucked. I'm not very good at writing them and I don't really like writing them either. I realize I've fluctuated between calling Murrue Ramius Captain Ramius and Lt. Ramius. In all honesty, I'm not sure what I should call her. Any suggestions? Um please don't kill me for not updating for a while. I had writer's block. (runs and hides)

1/25/08-I found and corrected a rather large error that I found. I stated that the refugees were waiting to board the Haleburton but that's the person in charge. The ship's name is Menelaos. That's what I get for writing when tired.


	7. Falling Through Space

Athrun's Betrayal 

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 7 Falling Through Space

Kira silently floated into the room where the space suits were kept, not expecting Flay to be in there. Upon seeing him, she threw herself at him and embraced him tightly. He felt his face go warm as their faces became only inches apart.

"Flay are you all right?" he asked. "What is this?" He was relieved when Flay pulled away a little. Her eyes shone with tears.

"You went away," she answered. "Or at least I thought you left us so I decided…everyone's fighting except for me even though…I was the first to say I'd remain." She put her head on his shoulder and tears leaked out from the sides of her eyes. "So I decided I was going to…"

Kira saw the open locker where a flight suit and helmet were waiting.

"You're not saying…" he gasped.  
"I wanted to do something to help."

"It's all right. You shouldn't…" Kira shook his head. "I'll go and fight. Okay?" Flay nodded tearfully. He pushed his way past Flay and over to the locker. "I've made up my mind. It's just the way it is. I'm not sure what's keeping me here, but something tells me that I can't leave. Not yet." He was even more surprised when Flay floated over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, then, let me say this. I also intend to protect you," she said. Before he could protest, she was kissing him on the lips. For some reason, it made him feel incredibly uncomfortable to feel her lips over his. He pulled away rather quickly.

Outside, the battle raged on. The crew of the Archangel could only watch as ship after ship exploded. The phone on the bridge rang. Lt. Ramius answered it.

"Hey, why the hell am I still on standby?" Lt. La Flaga demanded. "The two remaining machines are at it again! Even with only two of them, the eighth fleet is doomed!"

"Lt. La Flaga," Lt. Ramius sighed softly.

"It's not as though my armor alone will make much of a difference, but still…"

"Our ship still hasn't been signaled to join in yet. Please remain on standby."  
"But that's…!" but Lt. Ramius had already hung up. She turned to the rest of the crew.

"Connect me to the Menelaos!" she ordered.

"What do you want?" Admiral Halberton asked warily.

"We wish to pull away from the fleet. It's imperative that we start making our decent to earth now. Please authorize it."

"You can't be serious! Are you people trying to flee this battle to save yourselves?"

"This ship is the enemy's target. _We_ must move away from _you_! If not, the whole fleet will be destroyed! Alaska is out of the question, but from here, we can still reach Earth Forces territory. We can shake off the GINNs and ZAFT vessels in the Earth's atmosphere."

There was a long pause.

"Murrue Ramius, you haven't changed one bit. Still as reckless as ever," Admiral Halberton finally said.

"As you well know, a subordinate learns well from her superior."

"Very well. Commence preparations for the Archangel's decent on the double. We'll provide cover for you. We won't allow one single enemy to get past us."  
"Yes sir."

The connection between the Archangel and the Menelaos was terminated.

"All hands prepare for atmospheric entry interface!" a voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

"Descend?!" Lt. La Flaga growled. "With the situation we're in?!"

"What good is it going to do you to yell at me?" one of the crew members asked, currently on the receiving end of Lt. La Flaga's pent-up frustration. "I guess it's better than sitting around not doing anything."

"Yeah, well you can understand…"  
"Even if we lose the ZAFT ships and GINNs, there's still those two machines…" a new voice cut in, causing both men to look up. Neither of them were expecting Kira to be floating towards them.

"Hey, kid!" the crewman said.

"I'll stand by in the Strike. Still on level battle stations right?" He floated up to the Strike.

"I thought he got off the ship," the crewman murmured.

The Archangel began its decent towards the Earth. The two ZAFT Gundams followed it, determined to not let it go. Everyone onboard the Archangel waited tensely as they descended, hoping, no praying for the best. Unfortunately, the best would never come.

"The Duel and Buster have broken through the main lines! The Menelaus is now engaged in combat!"

"Lt. La Flaga!" Kira cried.

"Yeah, I know," Lt. La Flaga replied grimly. He addressed Lt. Ramius. "Captain, let us fight to the last second. How much time is left?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Lt. Ramius said. "You want us to…?"

"According to the catalogue specs, the Strike is able to go through reentry on its own," Kira put in, surprising everyone on the bridge.

"Kira what are you…what are you doing there? I thought you…"  
"If this keeps up, the Menelaos will be in great danger. Come on captain!"

"All right then," Ensign Bageruil replied. "But come back before phase 3. The specs may say that it's possible, but it hasn't actually been tested. We don't know what's going to happen to its interior. Keep a constant eye on the altitude and time."  
"Yes ma'am," Kira responded. He switched his screen off.

Lt. Ramius rose angrily. "Ensign Bageruil!" No one had ever heard her use such a sharp tone before or look so intimidating.

Ensign Bageruil didn't seem sorry that she had overstepped her boundaries.

"If this ship is destroyed, the sacrifices of the eighth fleet will have been in vain," she said coldly. The two women glared at each other, though nothing was said.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Athrun watched the ongoing battle from one of the monitors, abandoning his cleaning duty. He felt a twinge of guilt. _He_ should have been out there. After all, the Naturals _had_ spared his life. He threw down his towel and made his way to the garage. He was not used to the ship, however, and made several wrong turns before he finally found a locker room where a spare Earth Forces space suit was hanging in the closet.

_The ZAFT uniforms look so much better than these._ He thought contemptuously as he donned the suit and picked up the helmet. He found the garage where the Mobile Suits were kept. Several people stared at him.

"Hey kid what do you think you're doing?" one of the crewmen asked.

"I'm taking out the Aegis," Athrun replied calmly. "Unless you want this ship to be sunk?"

The man opened his mouth to protest but the pilot of the Mobile Armor, Lt. La Flaga cut him off, rising from within his Mobile Armor's cockpit.

"We need all the help we can get right now," he said. He turned to Athrun. "But are you sure you really wanna go up against those guys? I mean, they _were _your allies once."

"I can handle it," Athrun replied coolly.

"All right," Lt. La Flaga shrugged, retreating back into his cockpit.

Athrun's throat tightened as he clambered into the cockpit of the Aegis.

_They were going to kill him._ He reminded himself sternly. _They showed him no mercy, unlike the Naturals. Maybe they aren't so bad after all. _

Kira launched the Strike, followed by the Mobile Armor. Then, it was Athrun's turn. Taking a deep breath, he launched the Aegis.

"Sir, the X105-Strike, the Mobeus Zero, and the X303-Aegis have launched from the Archangel," one of the officers on the Menelaus reported.

"What are they thinking?" Admiral Halberton murmured.

"The Aegis…!" Le Creuset gasped.

"Athrun Zala, what are you doing?!" Lt. Ramius asked, thunderstruck.

"I'm giving the Strike and the Mobeus Zero backup," Athrun replied in his usual calm voice.

"You were not given any sort of authorization!"  
"I know, but I'm not about to let this ship get destroyed. Not after what you did for me…"

Lt. Ramius sighed softly. "Very well."

"Captain are we sure he can be trusted?" Ensign Bageruil asked in an undertone.

"To be perfectly honest, no, but right now, we need all the help we can get. Besides, I somehow have the feeling that he's not going to be welcomed back to ZAFT with open arms after the stunt he pulled."

"Right…"

Kira was immediately engaged by a very pissed off Yzak while Lt. La Flaga took on Dearka, leaving Athrun to hang back observing. Yzak spotted him and fired at him.

"Athrun you bastard!" he growled as his shot missed.

"Why are you siding with the Earth Forces all of a sudden?" Dearka asked.

"They were kind to me. They showed me compassion. I must repay them for the kindness they've shown me so far," Athrun replied. "But that isn't important. Where is the Blitz? Why isn't it out here too? Where's Nicol?"

"Athrun…" Dearka murmured.

"Nicol is dead you bastard!" Yzak yelled firing a shot at Kira.

"What?!"

"HE'S DEAD!!!!!!!!!!" Yzak nearly succeeded in hitting Kira this time.

"Nicol dead? No it can't be!" Athrun gasped.

Dearka sighed softly. "He committed suicide right after you left. We found him in his room bleeding."

"Oh no." Athrun sobbed quietly. The Gamow headed for the Menelaos. Lt. La Flaga headed after it. He shot at it and retreated. The Gamow continued to shoot at the Menelaos. The Menelaos released the shuttle of civilians it was holding. The Archangel prepared for the third phase of its descent.

"Signal the Strike, Aegis, and Zero to return!" Ensign Bageruil ordered. Lt. La Flaga shot back towards the Archangel. The Buster fell towards earth, caught in its gravity. The Gamow and Menelaos shot at each other. Both of them exploded.

"Admiral Halberton no!" Lt. Ramius yelled. She and Ensign Bageruil stood and saluted the fallen ship. Tears stung her eyes. The Duel and Strike fought, Athrun still hovering in the background. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to shoot his ex-comrade. Yzak spotted the shuttle.

"Oh no!" Kira cried, seeing that Yzak had spotted it. Yzak took aim. "Don't do it! They're only civilians!" he cried, trying to reach the shuttle before it was too late.

"Yzak no!" Athrun screamed. Yzak fired. The shuttle exploded right before Kira made it to it.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as the Strike was blown backwards, and then began to fall.

"Kira!" many voices screamed. Athrun felt tears stinging his eyes. His head snapped up when he heard Kira's name. He watched momentarily as the Strike plummeted downwards away from them all, then transformed the Aegis and rocketed after him.

"Athrun what are you doing?!" Lt. Ramius yelled. There was no answer.

The Aegis grabbed onto the Strike and began to try and head for the Archangel, but its boosters were not strong enough. Lt. Ramius ordered the Archangel to go off their present course so they wouldn't be separated from the two Gundams. Athrun could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness but fought it off. He _had_ to get Kira back to the ship, no matter what the cost. Groaning softly, he felt his body getting hotter and hotter. He forced his eyes to remain open. He couldn't let go of Kira. He wouldn't. Finally, the two machines landed.

"The Strike and Aegis have landed on the ship," a voice over Athrun's radio announced.  
"All right!" a second voice called. He felt himself slipping away.

"Please respond. Athrun and Kira, please respond."  
"Kira? Athrun?"  
"Are you guys okay?!" He distinctly recognized Lt. Ramius's voice. The voices got more panicky.

"Kira! Athrun!" He closed his eyes and finally gave into the screaming darkness.

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry it was a bit shorter than last time. I thought that was a good place to cut it off. Reviews are loved!!


	8. Falling to Pieces

Athrun's Betrayal 

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I just want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter in general. Reviews help inspire me to update.

Chapter 8 Falling to Pieces

There were no cries of relief or celebration upon the Archangel as they landed safely on Earth. No one knew what was wrong with Kira or Athrun for one thing, and for another, they landed in the completely wrong place. No one really cared at the moment; the two boys were their first priority. Lt. La Flaga manually opened the Strike's cockpit from the inside and went in. It was incredibly hot. Kira was unmoving, his head down on his chest.

"Kira? Kira!" Lt. La Flaga cried. As quickly as he could, he unbuckled the young pilot and brought him out into the garage. There were murmured worries as they saw that Kira was not moving. He put Kira in the arms of one of the crewmen and went to the Aegis. When he manually opened the cockpit of the Aegis and found the same thing; Athrun lying unconscious in the overheated cockpit. He brought the dark-haired boy out and brought him to the Infirmary himself, where Kira was already receiving treatment.

"What is _he _doing here?" Flay demanded, glaring as Lt. La Flaga brought Athrun into the Infirmary and laid him on one of the free beds. "He is a Coordinator formerly with ZAFT right?"

"Yes, that's right," Lt. La Flaga answered with a nod as he straightened up. "But he changed loyalties. You saw for yourself how he fought against his former allies in the last battle."  
"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that he was once with ZAFT. He could decide to change sides again and go back to his old ways. It doesn't change a thing."

Lt. La Flaga sighed softly, trying hard to not lose his temper. "You're missing the point. Even if Athrun wanted to go back to ZAFT, he can't now. He's committed a serious act of treason by disobeying orders and bringing Kira, the Strike, and the Aegis."

"I don't see the problem."

"For a soldier to desert his army…it's a bigger crime than you seem to understand!" Lt. La Flaga's voice rose. "And, he just happens to be the son of the leader of ZAFT. His father, Patrick Zala was just recently named the new leader. If he goes back to them now, he'll be executed for being a traitor! Just like Kira almost was. They don't take desertion and betrayal lightly."

"Perhaps he deserves to die," Flay said quietly, her eyes glittering wickedly. Thankfully, Lt. La Flaga didn't hear her. He departed. The doctor finished taking care of Kira and moved onto Athrun. Once he had finished with Athrun, he vanished as well. Flay left to give Kira and Athrun time to rest.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kira sweated profusely, fever raging through his body. He tossed and turned as he relived the previous battle.

_"Signal the Strike, Aegis, and Zero to return!" Ensign Bageruil ordered. Lt. La Flaga shot back towards the Archangel. The Buster fell towards earth, caught in its gravity. The Gamow and Menelaos shot at each other. Both of them exploded. _

_"Admiral Halberton no!" Lt. Ramius yelled. She and Ensign Bageruil stood and saluted the fallen ship. Tears stung her eyes. The Duel and Strike fought, Athrun still hovering in the background. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to shoot his ex-comrade. Yzak spotted the shuttle. _

_"Oh no!" Kira cried, seeing that Yzak had spotted it. Yzak took aim. "Don't do it! They're only civilians!" he cried, trying to reach the shuttle before it was too late. _

_"Yzak no!" Athrun screamed. Yzak fired. The shuttle exploded right before Kira made it to it. _

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as the Strike was blown backwards, and then began to fall. _

_"Kira!" many voices screamed. _

"Birdee?" his mechanical bird chirped sadly as it watched Kira from its resting place on his chest.

Flay and Miriallia came back. Kira twisted around and nearly fell out of his bunk.

"Kira?" Flay asked.

She ran forward and grabbed Kira before he fell. Carefully, she put him back in bed and covered his chest with a sheet. Miriallia watched from a short distance as Flay lovingly watched over Kira, gently bathing his forehead with a washcloth and speaking soft words of comfort to him until a soft sound caught her attention. She turned around and saw that the sound was coming from the bunk across from Kira, where Athrun lay. She opened the curtain and found Athrun writing around in pain. He was sweating just as badly as Kira was.

_"Athrun you bastard!" he growled as his shot missed. _

_"Why are you siding with the Earth Forces all of a sudden?" Dearka asked. _

_"They were kind to me. They showed me compassion. I must repay them for the kindness they've shown me so far," Athrun replied. "But that isn't important. Where is the Blitz? Why isn't it out here too? Where's Nicol?" _

_"Athrun…" Dearka murmured. _

_"Nicol is dead you bastard!" Yzak yelled firing a shot at Kira. _

_"What?!" _

_"HE'S DEAD!!!!!!!!!!" Yzak nearly succeeded in hitting Kira this time. _

_"Nicol dead? No it can't be!" Athrun gasped. _

Athrun moaned again and continued to writhe around, trying to rip out the IV line in his arm. 

"Athrun!" Miriallia cried. She grabbed ahold of him and tried to calm him down.

_Dearka sighed softly. "He committed suicide right after you left. We found him in his room bleeding." _

Athrun gave a low choking sob. Miriallia stared at him. He gave another dry sob. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes. She gently patted his hair. 

"Shh Athrun. It's going to be okay," she whispered, trying to calm him down.

Her words seemed to reach him; he slowly calmed down and stopped moving. Miriallia gently laid him back on his pillow and bathed his sweating face with a washcloth. Athrun breathed heavily, tears oozing out of the sides of his eyes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is Alaska," Lt. La Flaga said, pointing to a map hanging on the wall. "And here's where we are."  
He pointed at the country of Libya.

"Right in the middle of ZAFT territory. Not exactly the best place to be."

"There wasn't much choice," Lt. Ramius murmured, sipping at her coffee. "Our alternative was to get separated from the Strike and Aegis and we couldn't afford to do that."

Lt. La Flaga looked over at her, concerned. Both of them remembered how they had nearly lost both the Strike and the Aegis and how Athrun had risked his life to bring Kira back.

Lt. Ramius nervously twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "It had to be done. Despite everything that happened, our ship's objectives and destination remain the same."  
Lt. La Flaga sat next to her at the desk. "Everything okay?"

"Should be," Lt. Ramius answered in a tense voice.

"I meant the deputy commander."

Lt. Ramius's stomach twisted with the reminder of the unpleasant memory.

_Lt. Ramius rose angrily. "Ensign Bageruil!" No one had ever heard her use such a sharp tone before or look so intimidating. _

_Ensign Bageruil didn't seem sorry that she had overstepped her boundaries. _

_"If this ship is destroyed, the sacrifices of the eighth fleet will have been in vain," she said coldly. The two women glared at each other, though nothing was said. _

Lt. Ramius somehow managed to smile. "Everything's all right." 

"Very pleased to hear that." Lt. La Flaga drained the remains of his coffee cup and stood. "I think I'll go and see how Kira and Athrun are doing and then get some sleep. You could use some shut-eye too. A commanding officer mustn't allow herself to get worn out and exhausted. Not good."

He was grinning as he left.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flay and Miriallia continued watching over Kira and Athrun and half-listened to the doctor explaining to Sai, Tolle, and Kuzzey about how they were not hurt and only had fevers.

"The only thing we can right now is give them plenty of fluids and try to lower their body temperatures," the doctor said. He was explaining to them how Athrun and Kira's bodies were different because they were Coordinators when Lt. La Flaga came in.

"La Flaga here. I'm coming in," he said over the speaker outside before entering. He stared at the less-than-happy expressions on the students' faces. "Uh, is there something I should know about?"

"Oh no," the doctor replied cheerfully. "I was just explaining the differences the Coordinators have from Naturals."

"I see…" Lt. La Flaga murmured. He walked over to the beds and looked down at Athrun, and then Kira.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_He was back on Heliopolis, although he knew there was no way he could really be there. They were in the middle of an intense gun fight. He was taking cover behind a large metal crate and Rusty was kneeling behind an overturned vehicle in the thick of a fire. Several gunshots missed him…and then one finally hit its target. _

_"Rusty!" he screamed as Rusty fell backwards, dead. Angrily, he rushed forward and shot everything in sight… _

_His bullet hit the Earth Forces woman in the shoulder and she fell back, wounded, but not fatally. At the same time, a young boy hopped down onto the Gundam's leg. He raised his gun to shoot them, but it was jammed. He tossed it to the side and pulled out his knife. He raced forward and the boy looked up. The boy recognized him and gave a soft gasp. _

_"Ath…run?" he asked. Athrun stopped at his own name, the knife pointed outwards. The voice sounded so familiar to him. He stared at the boy, hardly believing it. _

_"K…Kira?" he stammered. _

_Miguel's screams echoed through his cockpit as the Strike sliced it in half. The GINN he was piloting exploded. _

_"MIGUEL!!!" Athrun screamed. _

_"Kira! Kira Yamato!" Athrun said. The other pilot gasped. "So it is you. Isn't it Kira?" _

_"Athrun? Athrun Zala?" Kira asked. "What is this? Why are you here?" _

_"You should talk. What do you think you're doing in that thing?" _

_They were in space now, fighting again. _

_"Kira!" _

_"Athrun!" _

_"Stop this! Please, put away your sword, Kira. We are not enemies. Am I right? Why do we have to fight each other?"  
"Athrun…" _

_"You're a Coordinator just like us! Why would you want to fight against your own kind?" _

_Kira tried to get back to protect the Archangel, but Athrun stopped him. _

_"Kira, enough!"  
"Athrun."  
"What are you doing with the Earth Forces? Why are you siding with the Naturals? Tell me!" _

_"I am not with the Earth Forces." _

_Athrun felt his heart skip a couple beats. Maybe, just maybe… _

_"People I know on that ship. Some are very good friends of mine. Besides, what are you doing with ZAFT? Why'd you get involved in the war? You used to tell me that you hated the very idea of war…" Athrun's eyes widened. He tried hard to not show that Kira's words hit home. _

_"Nicol is dead you bastard!" Yzak yelled firing a shot at Kira. _

_"What?!" _

_"HE'S DEAD!!!!!!!!!!" Yzak nearly succeeded in hitting Kira this time. _

_"Nicol dead? No it can't be!" Athrun gasped. _

_Dearka sighed softly. "He committed suicide right after you left. We found him in his room bleeding." _

Athrun groaned softly and opened his eyes. He saw strange walls. A girl's face came into view. He vaguely recognized her as one of Kira's friends. 

"You're awake," she said, smiling. "That's good."  
"Where…am I?" Athrun asked, trying to sit up with much difficulty.

"Hey, take it easy. Don't try and get up just yet. You've been through a lot," the girl said, pushing him back down. He watched her quizzically. "You're in the Infirmary of the Archangel. You were unconscious when you were brought here so it's understandable that you don't remember."  
A tangle of voices and blurred images ran through Athrun's head. He could dimly remember what had happened.

"Kira!" he suddenly gasped, trying to sit up again. The girl pushed him back down.

"Shh. It's okay. Kira's fine. He woke up a while ago. He's taking a shower," she said in a soothing voice.

"I'm glad…he's okay," Athrun murmured.

"Yeah," the girl smiled. "All of us are."

"Did we land on Earth?" Athrun asked.

"Yes. Last night. We're in the middle of the desert."

Athrun watched as the girl dipped a washcloth in a bowl next to the bed, wrung it out, and gently washed his face. It was refreshingly pleasant. When she had finished, she put the cloth back in the bowl.

"Why…why have you been taking care of me?" he couldn't help answering. "After all, I'm…"

"It doesn't matter what you are," the girl said stiffly. Her face softened. "Kira's been really worried." Athrun felt his cheeks grow warm. "I'm going to go and get the doctor and tell him you've woken up, okay?" Athrun nodded. The girl's face grew stern. "Don't even think about getting up while I'm gone." Then, she left.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sai, Tolle, and Kuzzey chatted about Kira and Athrun as they ate lunch. Miriallia and Flay were both absent, having taken Kira and Athrun lunch. They had been transferred back to their own quarters, but ordered to stay on bed rest for the day. Flay returned first with two empty trays and reported that Kira's appetite was healthy. Miriallia returned later with the same report. Flay was about to return to Kira when she was stopped by Sai.

"Flay, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, grabbing her by the shoulder. They stood out in the hall, though Miriallia and the others could still hear what they said.

"Look Sai, our relationship was something arranged by my father, but as you can see, he's no longer around," Flay said, her eyes narrowing. Sai gasped softly and stared at her. Flay smiled at him. "It was a verbal agreement. That's all. Our situation has totally changed since then so we shouldn't be tied down by that any longer." She walked away.

"Flay, I really don't…!" Sai protested, but it fell on deaf ears.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Athrun stood in the shower and let the hot water pour all over his body. It felt really good after being stuck in bed all day drenched in sweat. He turned the water off and dried off, then put his uniform back on. He decided to go and check on Kira, although he immediately wished that he hadn't. He told Kira he was coming in but received no answer. When he opened the door, he saw why; Kira was locked in a kiss with the red haired girl. Tears burned at his eyes when he saw the scene and he let out a soft cry, which alerted the others to his presence. The girl looked triumphant, Kira mortified.

"Sorry," Athrun said harshly. "I didn't mean to interrupt." He fled.

"Athrun wait!" Kira protested. Flay grabbed him.

"Don't worry about him. He's just jealous. Now that we've gotten rid of him, we can get back to what we were doing," she cooed.

Kira pushed away from her in disgust. He had **not** wanted to kiss Flay. Every time they touched, it felt wrong. Somehow, he knew why.  
"Get off me Flay," he spat. Flay looked upset.

"Kira!" she gasped. Kira rose, the flower still tightly clutched in his hand. He ignored Flay's sobs as he ran out of the room and sprinted down the corridors, searching for Athrun. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

He stopped when he abruptly ran into someone. After a moment, he realized it was Kuzzey.

"Kira? What's going on?" he asked.

"I need to find Athrun. **Now**," Kira answered harshly.

Kuzzey looked surprised, but didn't ask questions. He joined Kira as they hunted Athrun down.

A quarter of an hour later, they found the dark-haired boy huddled in a remote part of the ship, sobbing.

"Athrun?" Kira asked softly, stepping forward.

"Go away," Athrun replied harshly. "I don't want to talk to you."

Kira stopped walking and sighed softly. He smiled sadly. "Yeah, I don't blame you. I'd be really upset too if…" he didn't finish his sentence. He took a deep breath. "Athrun, look. What you saw, it…it wasn't what you think."

"What do you mean it wasn't what I think? I know exactly what it was," Athrun choked back sobs. "How the hell can it be anything other than what I saw?"

Kira sighed softly and rubbed his forehead. How the hell did he explain how he felt?

"Look Athrun, there's no way I can explain this," he murmured. He slowly walked forward. Athrun watched his every move. Kira crouched down next to him and wrapped his arm around Athrun's body.

"K…Kira?" Athrun stammered as Kira's lips enclosed his.

He closed his eyes. Kira pulled away.

"I love you," he whispered. His lips found Athrun's for another kiss.

"I really…love you."

To be continued…

A/N: You can really tell I hate Flay, huh? I tried really hard to keep her in character (and I apologize if she was out of character) but that doesn't change the fact that I still hate her guts. She's probably the biggest bitch ever. (sweatdrops) Forgive my little rant. Um…don't kill me for the cliffie. Please!! (runs and hides) Reviews are always loved! (takes cover from angry reviewers).


	9. Desert Heat Pt 1

Athrun's Betrayal 

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Just want to warn you of the upcoming lemon in this chapter. I'm sure I won't make it very graphic because I'm terrible at writing lemon scenes, but I'm still warning you.

Chapter 9 Desert Heat Pt. 1

"I…really love you."

Athrun didn't open his eyes until well after Kira had pulled away after the second kiss.

"Kuzzey?!" Kira gasped. Athrun turned and he blushed as he realized that Kira's other friend-Kuzzey was his name, was still standing there, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Kuzzey I…" Kira started.

"It's okay, Kira," Kuzzey cut him off. He smiled. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you loving Athrun and vice versa."

"But…"

"Kira, it's fine. The concept of two guys being together doesn't bother me, okay? It doesn't change that you're a great guy. Athrun too."  
Kira smiled. "Thanks Kuzzey."

"No problem. I'm guessing you want me to keep this a secret from the others?"

"Yeah," Kira answered, his facing flushed.

"It's all right. I know that you're afraid what the others will think when they find out. I won't tell the others until you guys want to come out."

"Thank you."

"I'll leave you guys alone so you can have some…personal time."

Kuzzey smiled, but Kira flushed. Kuzzey left them alone. Kira and Athrun stared at each other, silent.

"I guess I should try and explain what I was doing in that room with…_her,"_ Kira murmured. Athrun couldn't help hearing the contempt in his voice. "The truth is, I didn't want her to kiss me. She just sort of…forced herself on me. She's been acting different ever since her dad's shuttle was destroyed in space. Her dad was Chairman Allster."  
Athrun winced, remembering when the shuttle was destroyed.

"Anyway, she's been clinging to me a lot since then and at first, it wasn't anything serious. She showed general concern for me and I didn't think twice about it. But then, she started getting physical. The first time she kissed me, I knew that it was all wrong. I felt so uncomfortable but I didn't know why. And the second time…" he swallowed hard, remembering how awkward it had felt when Flay's lips had closed over his. "I realized when I saw you in the door that I wanted you to be the one kissing me, not her. It all became clear to me then."

Athrun was silent, unsure of what to say.

"You're rather quiet."

"I don't know what I should say."

"You could say, 'shut up and kiss me you idiot.'"

Kira pulled Athrun in closer.

Athrun smirked. "I like that."

He leaned in towards Kira and brushed his lips against Kira's.

"Athrun?" Kira asked.

Athrun pulled away. "Yes, Kira?"

"I…I just want to warn you. Flay probably isn't going to give up on me. She's going to keep on trying to get me to love her even though I don't. I don't know where she gets the idea that I love her. She's going to do everything she can to keep me away from you."

Athrun scowled. "All the more reason for me to keep you closer…"

"I just want to warn you that she may try and kiss me and try…to go farther…" Athrun winced. "No matter what happens, I still love you and I always will. Nothing Flay ever does will change that, all right?"

Athrun nodded. "It'll be hard, but we can get through it. Now, about that kiss…"

He leaned in and brushed his lips against Kira's again. They pulled away.

"Athrun…will you…I mean, is it okay if we…go farther?" Kira asked uncertainly.

"Go farther? You mean…?!"

Kira nodded, blushing. "I really want to. It probably would be better if we waited but…" he scowled. "I don't know how long I'm going to be able to hold Flay off me. She seems to want to get inside my pants no matter what. I really am not comfortable with that and I don't think talking to the captain will help much. I want you to be the first, not Flay."

Athrun nodded. He rose and took hold of Kira's hand. "I understand. Come on. We can use my room. It's far enough away from the others that they won't hear us." He smiled ruefully. "I guess being an ex-ZAFT pilot does have its perks."

Kira chuckled softly as they went down the corridors. They finally reached Athrun's room and went in. Athrun locked the door and turned to Kira.

"Um…" He stepped forward and kissed Kira.

"Birdee!" The robotic bird chirped happily, flying from Kira's breast pocket and soaring above their heads. Athrun broke off the kiss and he and Kira stared up at the bird. Both of them chuckled softly. They started kissing again. Athrun pressed his body against Kira's. They stumbled backwards and hit the bed. Athrun's fingers worked swiftly to free Kira of his clothing and Kira did the same. No one on the outside heard the moans of passion as their bodies entwined underneath the sheets.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Archangel was being watched by two very different Middle Eastern groups. One was headed by the Desert Tiger and the other, a group of rebels going against the Desert Tiger, known as the Desert Dawn. Neither group made any sort of movement and was content to just watch the new ship. Then, the Desert Tiger moved. He, along with his companion, slid down one of the sand dunes to where his troops were waiting.

"It's time," he announced. "We will commence our operation against the Earth Force's new warship, the Archangel. Our objective is to evaluate the strength of the vessel and the Mobile Suits onboard."

The soldiers got ready for battle.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tolle yawned widely as he came out of the sleeping quarters, pulling on his jacket with much difficulty.

"Come on, can't you put it on properly?" Miriallia asked, stepping out, adjusting the collar of her jacket. She turned and helped Tolle pull his jacket on. "If you arrived on the bridge looking like that, you know you'd be yelled at by Lt. Bageruil."

She stopped and stared at something. Tolle looked at what she was staring at and started staring himself. Sai was standing outside the other sleeping quarters-where Flay slept.

"Hey Flay, sorry to bother you so late," he whispered, "but…listen. I…I couldn't find the time to sit and talk with you until now. Those things you said earlier…hey can you please get up so we can talk?"

Miriallia and Tolle were silent as they left Sai in peace.

"I didn't even know they were engaged," Tolle whispered as he and Miriallia made their way to the bridge.

"They weren't," Miriallia whispered in response. "It was something they discussed."

"How is that so different?"

There was a pause. "Flay has been acting really weird lately. Kira is as well. Flay doesn't hate Kira, but she does hate Coordinators. She's been clinging to Kira a lot, but he doesn't seem to like that, does he?"

"No, he doesn't," Tolle agreed. "It's weird because he used to go on and on about how cute she was, but then…something changed. He just wasn't interested in her anymore I guess."

"I guess we'll never know for sure."

The two of them finally arrived on the bridge and were immediately reprimanded for being late. Cringing, they took their seats. Suddenly, an alarm went off.

"What is it?" Ensign Bageruil asked.

"Detecting lasers directed at this ship," one of the crewmen answered.

"All hands to level 2 battle stations!" came the warning over the loudspeaker. Lt. Ramius was out of bed at once. Mu rushed out of his room. Kira and Athrun reluctantly got dressed. Both of them sprinted through the corridors and made it to their Mobile Suits in record time.

"What's going on?" Kira asked.

"We're under attack, but they're not able to pinpoint the exact location of the enemy. So, for the time being, we're on standby," one of the crewmen answered.  
"Where have I heard that before?" Kira groaned to himself. He turned as he heard Lt. La Flaga's voice rise in anger.

"Just get the thing ready so I can fly," he said.

"I thought I already told you that's impossible," the crewman retorted. "We wouldn't even be able to get the ammo loaded in time."  
Lt. La Flaga growled under his breath.

Three combat helicopters came forward and launched their missiles at them, then made a hasty withdrawal. The Archangel was barely able to intercept them in time. Even so, explosions rocked the ship.

"Where's the enemy?" Kira demanded from the Strike. All right, that's it. The Strike is launching."

"Kira, not yet. Just wait," Miriallia pleaded.

"Hurry up and open the hatch!" Kira commanded.

"We still don't know the position or strength of the enemy," Ensign Bageruil replied. "And orders haven't been given to launch."

"I can take care of them!"

"Captain?"

Lt. Ramius sighed softly. "We have little choice but to let him go. This ship's guns are useless against moving targets. Get the Strike to the catapult."  
"What about the Aegis? Should it go out too?" Ensign Bageruil asked as Kira prepared to launch.

"Yes. We need all the help we can get right now," Lt. Ramius answered.

"Even though…"  
"Yes," Lt. Ramius cut the other woman off sharply. There is no reason we can't trust Athrun."

The Strike and Aegis went out and landed heavily in the sand.

"Whoa," Kira groaned, struggling to straighten up. Three helicopters appeared and launched missiles at him. He tried moving, but ended up sinking in the sand. The missiles, thankfully, missed him.  
"Oh yeah?" he struggled to straighten up and took aim. The helicopters vanished behind a large dune.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

The Desert Tiger and his companion watched through binoculars.

"That's the X105-Strike, right?" his companion asked, pointing his binoculars at the white Gundam. "And the other is the Aegis?"

The Desert Tiger nodded. "Send out the BuCUEs. I want to see how they react."

Athrun was having just as hard a time of moving as Kira. He gritted his teeth as he found himself falling. Again. Suddenly, several new Mobile Suits appeared. They ran on all fours and made quick work of knocking him over. Kira didn't have much luck with them either.

"Athrun, we need to make adjustments to our Mobile Suits or else we're never going to win," he said over the radio.

"Yeah I know," Athrun agreed. "You make the necessary adjustments and I'll try to buy you a little time."  
"Right. Be careful," Kira responded.

Athrun smirked. "Always."

He drew the BuCUEs away from the Strike while the chocolate-haired boy made the necessary adjustments. Once finished, he told Athrun what needed to be fixed. The two Gundams moved much better. They easily took down the BuCUEs.

"They can't be Naturals," the Desert Tiger murmured. "No Natural could make adjustments to the desert sand so quickly." He turned to his companion. "Send this message to the Lesseps: fire the main cannons at the enemy ship."

His companion nodded and relayed the message. The Lesseps fired. The Archangel dodged with trouble. Explosions rocked the ship, making everyone uneasy. The Skygrasper was finally ready to go. Lt. La Flaga took off to look for the enemy. The others stared at Athrun and Kira's flawless attack. More BuCUEs came.

"Captain, the Strike and the Aegis are running low on power," Ensign Bageruil announced.

"Then we'll cover them. Advance slowly," Lt. Ramius decided.

"It's too risky," Ensign Bageruil argued. "Their PS armor would go down if they got hit."

Lt. Ramius growled softly under her breath.

Breathing heavily, Athrun and Kira were surrounded and attacked by missiles from helicopters and BuCUEs. Kira looked around frantically, searching for a way they could win, but it seemed hopeless. They were in deep trouble.

To be continued…

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter was so late. I realize that this follows the anime really closely but that won't be like this forever. There are going to be a lot more changes to plot and stuff but that won't come until later. And no, Flay won't be around after a while. He he he (God I'm so mean, huh?) I'm kind of surprised (and rather relieved) that I didn't get any death threats for my cliffie at the end of the last chapter. There's another reason why this is so damn late-I've been watching Gundam Seed Destiny instead of writing (cringes). Sorry. I wanted to see what happened because I knew it followed Gundam Seed. Let me say right now that it is really good. I used the Japanese spellings a lot for this because I think they look a lot better than the English ones. I'll probably use them a lot in this fic. Reviews are loved, as always.


	10. Desert Heat Pt 2

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters associated with Gundam Seed. 

A/N: Dedicated to **Uruwashi Inochii **who was the only one who bothered to review. Thanks! It means a lot to me. And I'm glad you like it too. 

Chapter 10 Desert Heat Pt. 2 

"Oh no!" Miriallia cried, seeing the hopeless situation Kira and Athrun had gotten into. No one was expecting it when missiles shot out from nowhere. Several vehicles appeared and launched more missiles at the enemy helicopters, bringing them down with ease. Kira and Athrun were hailed by a strange girl. 

"Attention! Pilots of these two Mobile Suits, if you guys wanna live, do exactly as I say. There's a trap set at the location indicated," she said. A map appeared on their screens. "I need you two to lure the BuCUEs there." 

The vehicles drove away. 

"Kira?" Athrun asked. 

"We have no choice but to trust them," Kira replied tersely. 

"I agree," Athrun said. 

The two of them followed the vehicles through the endless sand dunes. The BuCUEs followed them. The vehicles split up and waited in the sand dunes while the Strike and Aegis led the BuCUEs to the trap. They landed and waited for the BuCUEs to clear the last sand dune. Kira and Athrun looked at each other and jumped out of the way. There were several explosions and the BuCUEs were destroyed. Chunks of metal went in all directions. The moment the Strike and Aegis landed, their Phase Shift armors went down. The Desert Tiger retreated. Kira and Athrun tried to catch their breath. On the bridge of the Archangel, Miriallia received a message from Lt. La Flaga. 

"I have a message from Commander La Flaga," she announced. "Located mother ship but have decided against attacking. Enemy battleship is the Lesseps."  
"Did you say Lesseps!" Lt. Ramius demanded. 

"I repeat, enemy battleship is the Lesseps. I'm on my way back. End of message." 

"I don't understand," Ensign Bageruil complained. 

"We are up against the Desert Tiger, a ZAFT commander by the name of Andrew Waltfeld," Lt. Ramius explained. 

The Archangel navigated its way towards the Strike, Aegis, and the guerilla fighters. At dawn, several of the vehicles approached the Archangel and two Gundams. Athrun and Kira waited in their cockpits. His eyes caught a girl with blonde hair. He gasped as he recognized her, though he could exactly remember from where. Aboard the Archangel, the Skygrasper landed and Lt. La Flaga got out. 

"Resistance fighters?" he questioned. 

Chief Petty Officer Murdoch nodded. "So it would seem." 

"Do they appear friendly to you, captain?" Ensign Bageruil asked on the bridge. 

"Well, they're not pointing any guns at us. We should at least be courteous and talk with them," Lt. Ramius answered. "They at least seem open to it. If we're fortunate, this could really work in our favor." She rose and left. "You take charge while I'm gone."  
"Ma'am." 

Lt. Ramius, no Captain Ramius tried to compose herself as she rode the elevator down. She always forgot that she was the captain of the Archangel now. She had to stay strong. She waited at the exit with several armed guards who were to remain hidden and ready just in case. Lt. La Flaga appeared with a pistol, which he stored at his side. He hadn't bothered to take off his flight suit. Captain Ramius checked her own gun and straightened her hat before ordering the door to be opened. She blinked as it opened and the harsh desert light came into the ship. She and Lt. La Flaga went alone to meet the guerillas. They were mostly of Arabic decent and wore a variety of clothing. The one exception to the rule was the only female. Although she wore the same type of clothing as the others, her face was pale, suggesting that she had not grown up in the desert. 

"It's only proper that we should thank you," Captain Ramius started. "After all, your group did save our ship and our Mobile Suits. I am Murrue Ramius, Earth Forces. I'm with the Eighth Fleet."  
"How is that possible? Wasn't the Eighth Fleet completely wiped out by the enemy?" a younger boy asked. Captain Ramius's eyes narrowed slightly. One of the older men stopped the boy from saying any more. 

"Our group is known as the Desert Dawn. I am Sahib Ashman. You don't need to bother thanking us. I'm sure you understand that we weren't necessarily fighting to save you," he said with a smirk. "We attack them only because they also happen to be our enemy." 

"You guys against the Desert Tiger? Fighting for a while?" Lt. La Flaga asked. 

Sahib's gaze fell on him. "I recognize you but I cannot say how or from where." 

"My name is Mu La Flaga. Don't know a living soul in these parts." 

"I never expected to meet the Hawk of Endymion in a place like this." 

"You strike me as someone who is very well-informed," Captain Ramius said with a smile. "Do you also know about us?" 

"You are the crew of the Earth Forces new assault ship the Archangel, yes? You descended to Earth to escape Le Creuset's team. And those two machines of yours are…"  
"X-105 Strike and X-303 Aegis," the girl cut in. "They're two of the prototype Mobile Suits of the Earth Forces." Lt. La Flaga and Captain Ramius stared at her. Sahib moved protectively in front of her. 

"So…here we are. How good it is that we know who you are and you know who we are," he said. "I must say though, we were surprised when we saw you land here in such an unfortunate location. I can only assume you landed here by accident but now that you're here, I'm curious to know what your plans are." 

Captain Ramius and Lt. La Flaga shared a quick glance.  
"Can we count on your complete cooperation?" Captain Ramius asked.  
"If you're serious about talking you should lower your weapons first," Sahib said with a smug expression as Captain Ramius and Lt. La Flaga exchanged a surprised glance. Sahib looked up at the two Gundams. "And they should disarm themselves as well." 

"Very well," Captain Ramius said. She knew Kira and Athrun were listening. "Ensign Yamato, Athrun, come down here." 

Kira unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the cockpit, and slowly descended to the ground. Athrun followed. The two of them walked towards the small group and, aware that all eyes were fixed on them, removed their helmets. The members of Desert Dawn stared at how young they were and began murmuring among themselves. The girl inhaled sharply as she recognized Kira. Her hand curled into an angry fist and she ran forward. 

"So it is you," she said. The others gasped and stared. Flay watched from a screen inside her room. Who was this girl and why did she know her Kira? Lt. La Flaga visibly tensed up. One of the men, who was definitely a lot more muscular than him and carrying a bow on his back saw and moved forward protectively. Lt. La Flaga decided that he did **not** want to mess with this man and relaxed. He watched the exchange between the two teenagers. 

"Why…what is someone like you doing here, huh?" the girl lashed out with her fist. Kira caught it before it could come in contact with his cheek. She struggled to free herself, scowling deeply. Kira remembered where he had seen her before. 

"Hey I remember you. You're the person I met at Morgeroete," he said. 

"Let go of me you jerk!" the girl cried, wrenching her hand free. She hit him in the side of the face. Instantly, Kira's hand went to the side of his face, rubbing the injured spot. She was the same person, all right. 

"Cagalli," Sahib said sharply. 

"What was that about?" Lt. La Flaga asked. He received no answer. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The Archangel cautiously made its way through the dunes, though at times it did end up scraping the sides since the passage it was taking wasn't all that large. It finally came to rest at the Desert Dawn's base. Lt. La Flaga, Captain Ramius, and Ensign Bageruil followed Sahib into the headquarters where they were offered coffee and began to talk. Meanwhile, the Strike and Aegis helped to give the Archangel a little cover since it stuck out like a sore thumb against the dull colored sand. 

"If I'm mistaken," Sahib began, "You people are seeking passage to Alaska." He unrolled a map on one of the tables. "Since this land is so large, ZAFT has a hard time controlling it all. However, just three days ago, the Victoria spaceport was taken over and since then, they have been asserting their control." 

"Did you say Victoria?" Ensign Bageruil asked. 

"Three days ago!" Captain Ramius was shocked. 

"We don't think that ZAFT and the Earth Forces are much different. Both of them come here only to take control and take away what is ours," Sahib said, sipping at his coffee. "How well you say that ship fares in Earth's atmosphere?" 

"It's unable to fly at high altitudes," Ensign Bageruil answered. 

"If you can't climb over a mountain range, the only alternative would be to try and break through Gibraltar."  
"With our battle strength?" Lt. La Flaga asked. "You've gotta be kidding me!" 

"Hn," Sahib responded. "Or you might try getting past the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and over to the Pacific Ocean." 

"The Pacific Ocean?" Captain Ramius interjected. 

"We couldn't possibly cover that much distance without stopping to resupply first," Ensign Bageruil said, voicing the captain's concerns. 

"The Oceanic Union is completely within ZAFT territory, right?" Lt. La Flaga asked. "What about the Equatorial union? Is it still neutral?" 

"Hey, aren't you jumping too far ahead?" Sahib asked. "You think you're already there?" 

The three superior officers turned to him. "Take a look." He moved his coffee cup onto the map. "The Lesseps is also here in Banadiya. 

"Oh, so when you said, 'try to get past' you mean the ship right?" Lt. La Flaga instantly caught on. 

"Hn." Was Sahib's response as he took another sip of coffee. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The crew of the Archangel was invited to eat dinner with the members of the Desert Dawn that night. Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey, Miriallia, and Flay sat together. They were soon joined by Cagalli. Athrun sat alone; he had not been invited to sit with anyone and did not ask to sit with anyone. Kira had gone to change out of his sweaty clothes before dinner. 

"What's the deal with that guy all alone over there?" Cagalli asked, pointing her fork at Athrun who was only picking at his food. 

"Oh, he was once a member of ZAFT but he changed sides," Flay said contemptuously. 

"What?"  
"He's not a part of ZAFT anymore," Miriallia explained. "I mean, he was but…"  
"But…" Cagalli probed. 

"It's complicated," Miriallia finally said. "He brought Kira back though he was not supposed to. From what Lt. La Flaga said, he's now considered a traitor and will probably be executed if he returns to his homeland." 

Cagalli said nothing. She just watched Athrun picking at his food. 

Kira finally came out and got a plate full of food. 

"Kira!" Flay giggled, causing Sai to scowl. "Come and sit with us!" 

"No thanks Flay," Kira said politely. 

"What? You're going to go sit with that…with that…ZAFT person? You'd rather sit with him than with us? With me? Your friends?" 

"Athrun is my friend too," Kira said calmly. He walked away and sat next to Athrun. 

"What did _she_ want?" Athrun asked, not bothering to hide his scorn. 

Kira rolled his eyes. "Nothing of importance." 

They began to eat. Flay, however, didn't let the matter drop. She set her plate aside and rose angrily. She stormed over to where Kira and Athrun were sitting. The others decided to follow her. 

"Why won't you come and eat with us?" Flay pouted. 

"Because I'm eating with Athrun," Kira responded. 

"Well why are you eating with him in the first place?" 

"Because he's my friend." 

Cagalli stared at him, shocked. 

"Aren't I your friend too?" 

"Yes."  
"So why won't you eat with me?"  
"Because you won't eat with Athrun too."  
"Why would I want to eat with him? He's a member of ZAFT, right?"  
"Not anymore. He's not wearing their uniform is he?"  
Kira had her there. 

"But he still was with ZAFT once. That doesn't change a thing. Come and eat with us Kira." Flay grabbed Kira by the arm and tried to pull him up. 

"I don't want to. Thank you," Kira said politely. 

"I insist," Flay leaned in towards him. 

"He said he didn't want to!" Athrun snapped, rising in anger. The others stared at how angry he had suddenly become. 

"No one asked you, Coordinator," Flay growled. 

Kira snapped. "Leave him alone!" He pushed Flay off. "Leave me alone while you're at it!" Flay stumbled backwards. 

"Flay!" Sai cried, reaching out to catch her. 

"Leave me alone. Don't touch me," Flay snapped. Sai backed away, hurt. She turned back to Kira. "What does…_he_ mean to you?" 

"Athrun means everything to me," Kira snapped back. He turned to Athrun. 

"Kira…" Athrun murmured. 

"You don't mean that!" Flay cried. 

"Yes, I do," Kira responded. He grabbed Athrun and kissed him in front of everyone. All conversations stopped and everyone stared at the two boys. Kuzzey was the only one who was not surprised by this embrace. 

"You…!" Flay gasped. 

"Yes," Kira said, pulling away from Athrun. 

"How could you! That's disgusting. The only thing more unnatural than a Coordinator are two boys together like that." 

Flay's words hurt. Kira's violet eyes filled with pain and he turned around so the others couldn't see his tears. He didn't know why it hurt so badly to hear Flay say something like that. Without any warning, he pushed past Athrun and ran for the Archangel. 

"Kira!" Athrun cried softly. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Flay, who was sobbing. The others had never seen so much anger in one person before. 

"You will pay for hurting Kira you selfish bitch." Then, he went to find Kira. 

To be continued… 

A/N: Ooh, Flay really made me mad in this. Although I did have a lot of fun writing her like this. She's a (insert random mean adjectives in here)! Hopefully she wasn't too out of character. I was going to make this longer, but I decided that this was long enough already so I'm splitting it up. Again. Oh well. Reviews are loved so much! Oh yeah, I'm playing with the idea of carrying this story on into the Gundam Seed Destiny timeline. I haven't decided for sure yet, although I have a lot of ideas for…improving the canon. I would really appreciate feedback on this idea. As it stands now, Athrun's Betrayal is going to have 30 chapters, although if I decide to continue on, it'll be a lot longer. So…I'm going to create a poll to see what the readers thing and then go from there. 


	11. Confrontation

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters who aren't associated with Gundam Seed.

A/N: Yay, I got a lot of reviews. That always makes me happy. Actually, when I get one review it makes me happy because I know at least SOMEONE likes what I write. Thanks to **Starlight-Wild Koneko, aliway, Uruwashii Inochii, david9999, furin-a** , and **.001Kamikakushi** for the reviews.

Chapter 11 Confrontation

Flay finally stopped crying and allowed Sai to escort her back to her sleeping quarters. When Sai returned to the campfire that the others had crowded around, none of them were speaking.

"So..." Sai pronounced as he sat next to Miriallia.

"So?" Tolle asked.

"What did you think of Kira's little show with Athrun just now? I mean, what are we supposed to make of it?" Miriallia asked.

"Who knows," Sai shrugged. "Was that even serious? I mean, Kira was just kissing Athrun to make Flay mad, right?"

"I don't think so," Kuzzey spoke up. The others stared at him.

"What do you mean?" Miriallia asked.

"Well…" Kuzzey hesitated. He launched into an explanation of what he had earlier seen between Kira and Athrun.

"I see," Sai said stiffly.

"I'm still not sure what to make of it. Kira and Athrun being together," Tolle admitted.

"I don't see any problems with it," Miriallia said.

"Me neither," Kuzzey agreed.

"It just seems sort of weird," Tolle murmured.

"Well I'm not going to let that get in the way of our friendship," Kuzzey said boldly. "Kira and Athrun are both great guys. It doesn't matter whom they love, male or female. That doesn't change who they are."

--

The Desert Tiger looked at the town through his binoculars.

"We'll issue a warning and then attack fifteen minutes later," he said to his companion. "Go on and tell them."

"Yes sir," the companion replied. He saluted and took off in a jeep.

--

Athrun found Kira lying on his bunk in the sleeping quarters he shared with the other boys, crying softly. Birdee was perched on his shoulder, looking down at its master, worried. It seemed to hear Athrun's footsteps because a moment later, it stretched its wing and flew to his shoulder. It gave off a series of chirps.

"He's sad," Athrun answered. Birdee chirped inquisitively. "He'll be fine." Birdee flew back to Kira's shoulder as the chocolate-haired boy looked up.

"Athrun," he whimpered. Athrun grabbed him in a tight embrace, causing Birdee to take flight again.

"Shh Kira. Don't cry," Athrun murmured soothingly. Kira didn't respond. He simply buried his face in Athrun's shoulder.

Dinner was interrupted by the sound of whistles.

"What's going on?" Sahib demanded into a walkie-talkie.

"The sky is burning!" someone answered. "It's in the direction of Tassil!"

Lt. Bageruil, Captain Ramius, and Lt. La Flaga exchanged wary glances with each other. Sahib growled softly and lowered the walkie-talkie. Everyone started to move out. What they found at the town was absolute chaos. Several BuCUEs were attacking and the people were running in every direction in panic. Somehow the people managed to get away. The BuCUEs attacked the caves where the ammo and supplies were being stored. The Desert Dawn struggled to get organized. The members of the Archangel watched.

"What do you think we should do?" Captain Ramius asked Lt. La Flaga quietly.

"Uh…I'm not really sure," Lt. La Flaga answered. "Do you think we should go too?"

"It wouldn't be a smart move to have the Archangel go anywhere. We can't rule out that there's going to be a second attack force. However, someone should go. So, how about it, commander?"

"Me?" Lt. La Flaga asked, surprised.

"The Skygrasper is the quickest way to get there, right?" Captain Ramius smiled.

"Yeah," Lt. La Flaga agreed. He hurried away.

Cagalli and her tall mysterious companion joined Cagalli's friend Ahmed in a jeep. They drove off towards the battle. The members of the Archangel were ordered to take defensive positions on the Archangel.

"Someone go find Ensign Yamato and Athrun," Captain Ramius ordered.

"I'll go," Miriallia volunteered.

She wordlessly went through the Archangel towards Athrun's room. That was the most likely place they would be. She just wondered what state of dress she'd find them in. When she got there, however, they weren't there. She sighed softly.

"Great, now what?" she asked herself.

She decided that the most logical thing to do was to go to the sleeping quarters that Kira shared with the other boys and then go from there. Her search was short lived; both of them were there, Kira curled up on his bed and Athrun sitting on the edge beside him, one hand on Kira's shoulder. Birdee, the mechanical bird that Kira always had with him was perched on Athrun's shoulder.

Athrun heard her.

"What is it?" he asked rather irritably without looking up.

"We've got a situation," Miriallia responded. Athrun looked up. When he saw who was addressing him, his expression changed.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. I thought it was that other girl," he said apologetically.

"What Flay? No. I don't know where she is. Not that it matters."

"What's going on Mir?" Kira asked, his face obscured by the shadows. He sat up and Miriallia was startled to see that he was crying.

"Kira are you…?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Kira replied, brushing his tears away. "Now what's going on?"

"The city is being attacked. The captain is ordering us to go into a defensive position. I'm sure she'll want you and Athrun to stand by in the Strike and Aegis."

Kira nodded. "We're on our way."

He rose and without another word, he and Athrun departed from the sleeping quarters. When they got to the garage, Lt. La Flaga was almost ready to launch in the Skygrasper. The two of them hurriedly went to their machines. Ensign Bageruil and several others went in cars to see what was going on. The town burned but the people managed to get out. The enemy had vanished. Lt. La Flaga landed on the outskirts and climbed out of the Skygrasper. Ensign Bageruil and her crew arrived.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea."

They walked forward towards where Sahib was talking to the chief.

"They gave us a warning to get out and then they set everything ablaze," he was saying. "All the food…ammunition…fuel…everything. There were no sacrifices but now what happens? How are we expected to live?"

Cagalli's hand curled into an angry fist. The Desert Dawn left in anger to fight the Desert Tiger. Lt. La Flaga and Lt. Bageruil returned to the Archangel.

"What now captain?" Lt. Bageruil asked.

Captain Ramius sighed softly and rubbed her forehead. "Send the Strike and Aegis to check up on the Desert Dawn. We can't let them get killed. In the meantime, we should send water and other supplies to the town with what vehicles we have."

Kira and Athrun launched. The Desert Dawn were already in the middle of a fight with the BuCUEs. They made quick work of them.

"So what? Are you guys trying to get yourselves killed?" Kira asked, coming out of the Strike and removing his helmet. Cagalli growled softly in anger.

"You don't understand how it is! We're just trying to protect the things and people so important to us!" she yelled, grabbing Kira.

"Hey!" Athrun protested, running forward. His helmet dropped into the sand as he tried to pull Cagalli off Kira.

"Cagalli don't!" Ahmed protested, also running forward. Cagalli glared daggers at Kira but relaxed her grip. She allowed Ahmed to lead her away.

"What's with you Kira?" Athrun asked quietly. "You're acting kind of weird."

Kira sighed softly. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a bit tired." Athrun stared at him as the two of them headed back to the Archangel.

--

Later, Sahib met with the crew of the Archangel.

"We desperately need food and supplies so we have no choice but to go into Banadiya to get what we need," he said. "There will be a team consisting of myself, Kisaka…" he nodded at the tall man who was usually accompanying Cagalli "…Ahmed, Cagalli, two drivers, and several of your people." He looked at Captain Ramius.

"We have chosen Lt. Bageruil and Ensign Yamato," Captain Ramius replied.

"Right. Cagalli and Yamato will stay in Banadiya and shop for the food and other supplies while the rest of us deal with the water situation," Sahib continued.

An hour later, everything was ready for the departure.

"You sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" Kira asked softly, moving in closer to Athrun.

"I'll be fine. Stop worrying, all right?" Athrun replied. They kissed goodbye.

The ride into Banadiya was silent. The drivers stopped at the middle of the town to let Kira and Cagalli off.

"We'll be back in four hours to meet you guys right here," Cagalli said.

"Be very careful," Kisaka cautioned.

"Yeah, yeah," Cagalli replied carelessly.

"Don't get killed," Ahmed said with a grin.

Cagalli rolled her eyes. The jeeps drove off. Cagalli immediately took charge; she knew the city well.

--

"Ugh, look at all this junk," Petty Officer Murdoch groaned, throwing yet another empty can out of the Strike's cockpit. "Why does the kid insist on using the cockpit as his cleaning quarters?!"

Captain Ramius and Lt. La Flaga watched from the upper deck as Flay, armed with a large garbage sack, bent down and picked up the trash Petty Officer Murdoch threw out of the cockpit.

"How long has this been going on?" Captain Ramius asked in a quiet voice, nodding at Flay.

"Beats me," Lt. La Flaga answered with a shrug. "Since got to Earth I guess. But it's one sided."  
"Because Kira is with Athrun, right?"

"Yeah. That's what it looks like. I mean, you saw how they acted last night didn't you?"

_"Kira!" Flay giggled, causing Sai to scowl. "Come and sit with us!"_

_"No thanks Flay," Kira said politely._

_"What? You're going to go sit with that…with that…ZAFT person? You'd rather sit with him than with us? With me? Your friends?"_

_"Athrun is my friend too," Kira said calmly. He walked away and sat next to Athrun._

_"What did she want?" Athrun asked, not bothering to hide his scorn._

_Kira rolled his eyes. "Nothing of importance."_

_They began to eat. Flay, however, didn't let the matter drop. She set her plate aside and rose angrily. She stormed over to where Kira and Athrun were sitting. The others decided to follow her._

_"Why won't you come and eat with us?" Flay pouted._

_"Because I'm eating with Athrun," Kira responded._

_"Well why are you eating with him in the first place?"_

_"Because he's my friend."_

_Cagalli stared at him, shocked._

_"Aren't I your friend too?"_

_"Yes."  
"So why won't you eat with me?"  
"Because you won't eat with Athrun too."  
"Why would I want to eat with him? He's a member of ZAFT, right?"  
"Not anymore. He's not wearing their uniform is he?"  
Kira had her there._

_"But he still was with ZAFT once. That doesn't change a thing. Come and eat with us Kira." Flay grabbed Kira by the arm and tried to pull him up._

_"I don't want to. Thank you," Kira said politely._

_"I insist," Flay leaned in towards him._

_"He said he didn't want to!" Athrun snapped, rising in anger. The others stared at how angry he had suddenly become._

_"No one asked you, Coordinator," Flay growled._

_Kira snapped. "Leave him alone!" He pushed Flay off. "Leave me alone while you're at it!" Flay stumbled backwards._

_"Flay!" Sai cried, reaching out to catch her._

_"Leave me alone. Don't touch me," Flay snapped. Sai backed away, hurt. She turned back to Kira. "What does…he mean to you?"_

_"Athrun means everything to me," Kira snapped back. He turned to Athrun._

_"Kira…" Athrun murmured._

_"You don't mean that!" Flay cried._

_"Yes, I do," Kira responded. He grabbed Athrun and kissed him in front of everyone._

"Couldn't that have just been a way to irritate Flay?" Captain Ramius asked.

"I doubt it." Lt. La Flaga shook his head.

"Why's that?"  
"Those two have been pretty inseparable since Athrun was brought on board. Besides…" Lt. La Flaga hesitated, not sure if he should reveal this last bit of information to the captain. He had kept it from her for Athrun's sake.

"What?" Captain Ramius asked.

Lt. La Flaga sighed softly. "I heard directly from Athrun's own mouth that he loved Kira."

_"Is that all you wanted me to answer?"  
"No, there's one other thing."  
"All right."_

_"Do you love Kira?" Athrun was silent. "Well, do you?" Athrun was still silent. "Don't think I didn't see that look you gave him as you were being taken away."_

_Athrun sighed softly. "Yes, I do love him."  
"So what's wrong? He doesn't feel the same way about you?"  
"Yes! I mean…I don't know," Athrun's voice rose slightly._

_"So you told him."  
"Yes."  
"And he didn't say anything?"  
"No. He didn't."  
"Well that might not be a bad thing."_

"He didn't know if Kira loved him in return. He told him and didn't receive a response at first. He wasn't sure what that meant. But it makes sense that they were together now because Kira is returning the feelings."  
"I see."

--

Kuzzey sighed softly as he, Miriallia, Sai, and Tolle went to lunch.

"Is there something wrong Kuzzey?" Miriallia asked.

Kuzzey didn't answer at first, too preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Kuzzey?" Tolle asked.

"Huh?" Kuzzey asked, blinking. "Did you say something Miriallia?"

"I asked you if there was something wrong," Miriallia replied. "You look worried about something."  
"Yeah, I'm just worried about Athrun." The others looked at him questioningly. "Since Kira isn't here, I'm just worried that Flay is going to try something on him. You know, after what happened last night."

"Oh. Yeah," Sai said stiffly.

They reached the cafeteria and saw two things; Athrun sitting in the corner eating and Flay stalking over towards him.

"Uh-oh," Kuzzey whispered.

"Hey you!" Flay ordered. Athrun didn't respond. "I'm talking to you Coordinator."  
"I have a name you know," Athrun replied without looking up.

"I don't care. I just want to get one thing straight. Kira is mine so you'd better stay away from him," Flay hissed.

Miriallia and the others hurried forward, afraid that something was going to happen.

"I don't know where you got the delusion that Kira ever wanted to be with you," Athrun said calmly, still looking down.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Kira has always and will always have feelings for me and me alone!"

"Go ahead and live in your fantasy world. The real world had no need for people like you." Athrun finally looked up, anger blazing in his emerald green eyes. He rose, picked up his tray, and threw it out. Then, he left without saying another word and never losing his temper. Sai, Tolle, Kuzzey, and Miriallia exchanged surprised glances. They had not expected Athrun to remain so calm and retain his temper. It was not as expected.

To be continued…


	12. The Desert Tiger

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters associated with Gundam Seed. Get it? Got it? Good.

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in updating. I've been uninspired/lazy lately. That's all. No other excuses. But I'm going to work harder to update sooner. I promise. And I really hate breaking promises.

Chapter 12 The Desert Tiger

Deep within the city of Banadiya, Cagalli and Kira had just finished their shopping trip and were now sitting down to enjoy a relaxing meal, giving Kira a chance to sample the local cuisine. Today's special was what Cagalli called Doner kebabs though they honestly looked nothing like kebabs in Kira's personal opinion. She was just instructing him on what sauces he should use when a strange man in a hat and sunglasses randomly sat at their table and told him the opposite. An argument ensued which resulted in both kinds of sauce ended up on Kira's kabobs. Kira ate it anyways and found that it was quite good. They had no idea that they were being watched until it was almost too late.

A missile sailed towards them from a nearby rooftop. Kira and the strange man sensed it at the same time.

"Hit the dirt!" the man yelled. He kicked the table over, causing Cagalli to get covered in both sauces. Kira jumped and wrapped his arms around Cagalli protectively. The missile narrowly missed them and exploded in the ground. Men with machine guns charged firing in every direction. Civilians screamed and took cover.

"Look at me," the man ordered, pulling out a gun. "Are the two of you all right?"

"What exactly is going on here?" Cagalli asked.

"Die you lousy Coordinator!" one of the gunman yelled.

"For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" a second added.

That seemed to trigger something familiar within Cagalli.  
"Those guys are Blue Cosmos," she muttered angrily.

The strange man returned fire and killed one of the gunmen. A man close to where Kira and Cagalli were taking cover was shot and his gun clattered to the ground. Kira saw a man hiding in an alley, waiting for the opportune moment to take their savior out. His eyes fell on the gun. With amazing athleticism, he darted forward and grabbed the gun, then threw it at the man, causing him to flinch. While he was stunned, Kira delivered a swift kick to him, completely incapacitating him. Finally, the streets were silent.

"Commander!" a uniformed soldier said, running up to the strange man who had made Kira and Cagalli's acquaintance. "Are you all right?" Kira and Cagalli stared.

"Yeah I'm doing just fine actually," the 'commander' replied carelessly. He turned to the stunned teens. "It's all thanks to that guy." He removed his hat and sunglasses. Cagalli recognized his face even though she couldn't believe it.

"We were talking with Andrew Waltfeld?" she asked. Kira looked over at her quizzically. "The Desert Tiger."

Waltfeld approached Kira and Cagalli smiling warmly.

"You saved my life," he said. "How can I ever thank you? Come." He motioned for them to follow, which they did. They didn't really want to argue; they were surrounded by armed ZAFT soldiers. A quick jeep ride later, they found themselves at the base of the Desert Tiger.

--  
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Bageruil and her crew were on the sidelines of a heated debate between Sahib and the man known as Al-Jairi, a tanned man with a large bushy black beard and a bald head.

"Will you accept our request or won't you?" Sahib asked angrily. "What is your answer?"  
"Yes, naturally," Al-Jairi answered, sipping at his tea. "We'll do anything to help our kinsmen." He put down his teacup and rose. "Well I believe it'd be best if we discussed the details at the factory…?" Sahib made no reply as Al-Jairi walked to the door. Lt. Bageruil's eyes followed Al-Jairi's large form with much curiosity. She, along with the others, rose and went out after their host. They entered a large underground factory.

"We have already gathered water, provisions, and fuel for you people," Al-Jairi narrated as they walked along. "What remains are the items in question." They halted in a large hanger and several large crates were wheeled forward. On Al-Jairi's command, the lids were lifted off revealing ammunition. Lt. Bageruil inspected them.

"These are the real deal," she murmured.

"Now, if we can come to an arrangement as to my fee…" Al-Jairi said.

"I know what you want," Sahib responded. He turned to Lt. Bageruil. "Those items you see, are you satisfied?"

Lt. Bageruil nodded. "There are no problems with the merchandise."

Sahib turned back to Al-Jairi. "Then you give us your assurance that you can get us everything we asked for?"  
"Of course, of course." Al-Jairi motioned to one of his men who handed Sahib a piece of paper. "Look this over."  
Sahib stared at it for a few moments before turning to Kisaka, who read over his shoulder. "Kisaka?"

"I assume you take Earth dollars, is that correct?" Kisaka addressed Al-Jairi.

"Yes that's fine," Al-Jairi responded.

--

Kira and Cagalli nervously passed by many armed ZAFT soldiers. Waltfeld had somehow convinced them to come in using the excuse that Cagalli was covered in sauce and he couldn't let them go home with her looking like that. There was a rather beautiful lady with blue hair waiting for them in the interior.

"Ah, is this the girl you were talking about Andy?" she asked with a giggle.

"Yeah," Waltfeld replied. "Do what you can to clean her up. She managed to get chili and yogurt sauce and even some tea all over her."

The woman walked up to Cagalli.

"Oh my. You were having the kebabs, weren't you?" she laughed lightly, moving in incredibly close to Cagalli, so their faces were nearly touching. She unexpectedly straightened up. "Here, come with me." She put her arm around Cagalli and started to lead her away. Kira tried to follow.

"Uh hey…Cagalli," he protested.

"Don't worry," the woman said reassuringly. "We'll be done in no time. Please be patient and wait up here with Andy." Kira had no choice but to listen to the woman.

Andrew Waltfeld, Kira quickly decided, was a well-educated, highly intelligent man. Oddly kind, but with a really weird streak. They talked about the fossil replica on Waltfeld's mantle and of the coffee he had brewed for the two of them. He seemed to be obsessed with coffee, something Kira didn't really understand. Their conversation was interrupted when there came a soft knock on the door.

"Hey Andy," Waltfeld's lady friend said, stepping into the room. Cagalli shyly hid behind her. "Hey you. Go on. There's no need to be shy." She gently pushed Cagalli forward. Waltfeld smiled. Kira stared.

Cagalli looked very beautiful in a sea green strapless dress with ruffles up one side. Her hair had been neatly brushed and pinned back with two barrettes a slightly darker shade of green than her dress. She wore high heels the same color as the dress and a blush tinged her cheeks.

--  
"What?!" Captain Ramius demanded. "Kira and Cagalli haven't returned yet?!" The other officers stared.

On the TV screen, Kisaka looked slightly worried. "No. They were supposed to meet us here at this time, but they're not here. Have Sahib and the members of your crew returned?"  
Captain Ramius rose from her chair. "No, not yet."  
"The airwaves are jammed right now so we can't make direct contact with them When you speak with them again, please instruct a few of them to come back to this area. There have been reports of a Blue Cosmos terrorist attack in the city. I'd like to do a further search but I don't have enough men."  
"Understood." The screen switched off.

Captain Ramius sat down and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"This is bad," she murmured to no one in particular.

--  
"That dress looks very flattering on you," Waltfeld complimented, sipping at his coffee. "From the looks of it, it would seem you're accustomed to dressing in fine clothing like that."

"Say what you want," Cagalli muttered, sipping at her own coffee in disinterest.

"The perfect little lady… until you speak."

Cagalli scoffed. "Well it's just as hard for me to believe you're actually the Desert Tiger. Why spend your valuable time dressing people up? Is this another way for you get your kicks, Waltfeld?"

"Well, Aisha was the one who selected that ensemble. What do you mean by 'getting my kicks'?"

"Taking a trip into the city while wearing some disguise? Or evacuating residents from their town before burning it? That's what I mean."  
"You've got a lovely pair of eyes," Waltfeld said unexpectedly. "Something sincere about them. Very lovely eyes."  
"Don't toy with me!" Cagalli angrily slammed her hands on the coffee table in front of her.

"Hey Cagalli." Kira finally decided to say something.

Waltfeld's gaze hardened. "Are you another one of those people who'd rather be dead?" Cagalli didn't respond. Waltfeld's gaze shifted to Kira. "What about you then? What do you think about this?" Kira looked surprised. "What do you think needs to be done in order for this war to finally end? Give me your opinion as a Mobile Suit Pilot."

"Hey how would you know about that?" Cagalli protested. Kira looked away, troubled.

Waltfeld laughed heartily and rose. "Being too sincere can also be a liability." Kira rose and held out his hand for Cagalli's. She slipped hers into his and he led her away as Waltfeld walked over to a drawer. "Unlike at sports, the game of war has no set time limit and no points are awarded." Cagalli shrank behind Kira and he stood in front of her protectively as Waltfeld produced a gun. "So how do you determine the winners and the losers?" Kira gasped softly. "At what point do we put an end to it?"  
"At what point?" Kira asked quietly, not comprehending the Desert Tiger's words.

"When every single one of your enemies has been destroyed?" Waltfeld asked, ;pointing the gun at the two teens. "Perhaps then." Kira tensed up. His eyes moved from side to side, though his head never moved. He was thinking and calculating, trying to find a way out of the jam. Waltfeld could see.

"I'd advise you to not try anything stupid. You wouldn't be able to force yourself out of here with any degree of success. Every one of us here is a Coordinator like you. There's no way you could overpower us all."

Cagalli gasped softly and looked at Kira. "But wait." Kira was visibly upset by Waltfeld's words. "You mean you're a…?"

"I saw you in battle on two separate occasions. There's no way you can be a Natural and adjust so quickly to fighting in the desert and especially on Earth. You and that other pilot worked together so naturally, it was as if you two had been born to fight together. Only two Coordinators could accomplish such a feat. I have no idea of what your reasons are for deciding to fight against your own people but as long as you remain the pilot of that Earth Forces Mobile Suit, you and I are destined to be sworn enemies even if we are both Coordinators." Kira's face darkened. Finally, Waltfeld withdrew the gun. "It actually makes you wonder if there's no other option except for one of us to be destroyed."  
"Huh?" Kira and Cagalli asked at the same time.  
Waltfeld smiled. "Well, the fact is you saved my life today and this time we aren't meeting on the battlefield." He put the gun back in the drawer. He pressed a button on an intercom system and his friend Aisha entered. "You have permission to leave. I sure have enjoyed talking with you. Although I can't tell whether or not it was beneficial."  
Kira firmly put a hand on Cagalli's shoulder and guided her towards the door.

"See you on the battlefield!" Waltfeld called after them.

To be continued…

A/N: Okay it was shorter than I planned but that's okay. This was a good place for me to stop. Again, I'm really sorry for abandoning this for so long. Don't kill me please? Reviews are always loved.


	13. Wins and Losses

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters associated with Gundam Seed.

A/N: Sorry for the sort of sucky title. I couldn't come up with anything better.

Chapter 13 Wins and Losses

Kira and Cagalli were very relieved when they finally returned to the Archangel. Needless to say, everyone on board the Archangel (and off it as well) was relieved when they came back. They began loading supplies onto the ship and began planning for a way to get past the Lesseps. Sahib pointed out a place on the map where the Desert Dawn had set land mines, a perfect place for a battle. While Sai, Tolle, Miriallia, and Kuzzey were blown away by Cagalli's awesome skills in the simulator, Flay hunted Kira down. She found him in the company of Athrun, the two of them strolling hand in hand.

"Um Kira can I talk to you for a moment…she asked shyly, pointedly ignoring Athrun.

"Uh…sure," Kira responded. He dropped Athrun's hand and looked at the dark-haired boy apologetically. Athrun nodded, frowning as Flay put her mar around Kira's waist. The two of them went into a nearby sleeping chamber and sat on the bed side by side.

"What do you want to talk about…Flay!" Kira yelled when Flay started kissing him and moving him so he was lying on the bunk with her on top of him. "Get off!" He pushed Flay off him and stormed out.  
"Kira? Kira!" Flay protested.

Athrun was waiting when Kira exited. He could immediately sense that there was something wrong.

"Kira?" he asked softly, stepping forward. Kira's violet eyes were strangely blank. "Kira?"  
"Flay…tried to force me to have sex with her." Kira refused to meet Athrun's gaze.

"What?" Athrun asked, disgust evident in his voice.

"I…we…she…started trying to kiss me and laid on top of me. I got her off but…" Kira trailed off.

"You should report her," Athrun said firmly. "Tell the captain about this."

"I don't want to cause trouble." Kira shook his head.

"Kira, this is wrong. She shouldn't be able to get away with this. It's sexual harassment, if not attempted rape."

"I don't want…"

"Kira, listen to me." Athrun shook Kira. "This is something you need to tell someone about, okay? It's not something that happens all the time. You should tell someone."  
"I just wanna lay down right now," Kira mumbled.

Athrun sighed softly. "Fine. But if this happens again, you'll tell somebody in charge, okay?"

"Sure." Kira nodded absently.

He and Athrun went to bed.

--

A large transport ship landed in the middle of the desert. Mobile Suits began unloading.

"What is up with those guys at Gibraltar?" Waltfeld asked angrily from inside the headquarters, throwing a thin booklet on his desk. "Why are they sending us ZuOOTs? Are they out of BuCUEs?"  
"They said they couldn't provide us with any more," his second-in-command reported. "Perhaps they think they're doing us a favor by sending them."

"The pilots' battle experience is limited to space. They're just going to get in the way."

"They are from an elite unit."  
"I don't like the fact that they're from the Le Creuset team. I could never stand that guy."

The young officer couldn't help silently agreeing.

The two Gundams were unloaded and just as Dearka and Yzak were disembarking, they were blasted with sand.

"What are we doing in this god-awful place?" Dearka wondered, holding up the hand that wasn't holding his helmet to protect his eyes from the sand.

"They say you can't really appreciate the desert until you've lived here," a voice said. Yzak and Dearka turned and saw Waltfeld heading towards him with his second-in-command. "So…welcome to the Lesseps. I'm Andrew Waltfeld, the commanding officer here."  
"Yzak Joule of the Le Creuset team," Yzak said, saluting. Dearka hastily saluted as well.

"Dearka Elsman, also of the Le Creuset team," he said.

Waltfeld and his second-in-command saluted in response.

"It must have been tough getting down here. We appreciate you coming." Waltfeld smiled slightly. He and his second-in-command lowered their hands.

"Thank _you _sir." Yzak lowered his hand.

"When one doesn't have a bad scar removed, some might think it's a symbol of your…commitment. Or maybe since you turn your head away, it's a symbol of your…humiliation." Waltfeld smiled.

"Why don't you just tell us where the legged ship is?" Yzak burst out angrily.

Waltfeld walked past him, staring up at the Duel. "Currently, it's at a resistance base approximately 180 kilometers southeast of here." He turned to look at the two boys. "We sent out a reconnaissance drone. You wanna see the pictures?" He stared at the two Mobile Suits. "Yep, these look a lot like the other two."

"Speaking of them, what can you tell us about the fight you had with them?" Dearka asked.

Waltfeld turned, although he looked to be deep in thought.

He shrugged. "Yeah, well we did as well as the Le Creuset Team."

--

The Archangel was busy preparing for its departure. Everyone was running around, trying to accomplish last-minute things. Jeeps were loaded with supplies and good-byes were said. The Archangel took off, surrounded by the Desert Dawn in jeeps.

Kira picked at his food. He wasn't really hungry, but Lt. La Flaga kept putting things on his plate, insisting that he eat them.

"We're going to be going into a battle soon," he said, placing yet another thing on Kira's plate. "You need to keep your strength up. Look, Athrun has finished everything I've given him." Athrun's plate was clean but only because he hadn't really been eating properly lately and he was starving. Plus, the local food was fresh and really tasty. Kira smiled lightly and lifted the fork to his mouth. Suddenly, there was an explosion.

"What was that?" one of the other officers asked.

"Are we under attack?" A second asked.  
"They cleared all the mines in one attack," Ahmed murmured from next to Cagalli.

Cagalli's hand angrily curled into a fist. After the smoke cleared, they could see several carriers with Mobile Suits heading right for them.

Kira, Athrun, and Lt. La Flaga put on their flight suits.

"I'd hate to say it, but we just can't rely on the strength of the guerillas," Lt. La Flaga murmured.

"I know," Kira said softly.

He and Athrun both knew that the three of them were the only ones who really stood a chance against the Lesseps.

Lt. La Flaga smiled. "Don't get killed. Either of you."

Kira returned the smile. "Right."

Lt. La Flaga headed for the hangar. Athrun and Kira hung back for a moment.

"Hey," Athrun said softly. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kira blinked. "Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing." Athrun quickly shook his head. He brushed his lips against Kira's. "Be careful out there, okay?"  
"Yeah. You too," Kira replied.

They went to the hanger and boarded their machines. Lt. La Flaga launched first in one of the Skygrasper machines. Kira followed and then Athrun. They were immediately met by enemy helicopters. Kira brought up his shield to protect himself from the fire while Athrun brought it down. Several more helicopters were downed by the Archangel's guns. Lt. La Flaga took out several more.

"How many BuCUEs are we dealing with?" Kira asked over the radio.

"I pick up five," Athrun responded. "Commander La Flaga, what do you see?"

"I've got five of them," Lt. La Flaga said, soaring over the battlefield. "Plus two desert carriers, some other Mobile Suits, and a bunch of those damn helicopters."

"Copy that."

"If you two take care of the BuCUEs and the other Mobile Suits, I'll deal with the helicopters."

"Roger." Athrun and Kira landed in the sand and took on the BuCUEs. They swiftly dealt with them.

Suddenly, a strange Mobile Suit launched from one of the carriers. It was four-legged, like the BuCUEs, but it was a vibrant orange color. Kira rushed to face it, but quickly got distracted when another enemy ship came out of hiding and ambushed the Archangel.

"Kira!" Athrun called over the radio. "You deal with that orange suit. I'll protect the Archangel."

"Okay," Kira responded.

The Aegis took off. Cagalli ran for the Archangel.

"Cagalli!" Ahmed cried.

Kira was having much difficulty against the new Mobile Suit. Somehow, he knew that it belonged to Waltfeld. He was blown backward yet again. He was not doing so hot and his power was getting low. Cagalli "borrowed" the second Skygrasper. She fired at one of the carriers. The Duel and the Buster sat on top one of the other carriers.

"Damn it," Yzak growled. "I'm tired of just sitting here!" He took off.

"Yzak!" Dearka protested.

Yzak quickly found out about the little problem with the sand. He started sinking like a rock.

Cagalli took out several guns on one of the carriers.

"Take that!" she declared.

The Archangel shot at the carrier Dearka was sitting atop. He was forced to jump off as the carrier went down. He found himself sinking in the sand as well.

"This could be a problem," he muttered, trying to maneuver.

Finally, Kira managed to do some damage to the enemy Mobile Suit. Waltfeld ordered a retreat, but didn't retreat himself. He tried to convince Aisha to get out, but she stubbornly refused.

"We're both idiots." Waltfeld smirked. "Let's get him!"

The Mobile Suit charged forward. Kira hailed the Desert Tiger over the radio, begging him to surrender, but he wouldn't listen.

"Don't do it Mr. Waltfeld!" Kira begged.

At that moment, the Strike ran out of power. Waltfeld's Mobile Suit's cockpit was full of sparks.

"There's no way to determine the end to this war. There's no choice but to fight. I'm not going to quit! Not until one of us is destroyed!"

Kira thought fast. He got rid of the extra armor and took out the two knives. He charged forward and slammed them into the other Mobile Suit. He stumbled backward and fell as the Mobile Suit exploded. He weakly lifted his head, staring at the bright explosion. Tears streaked down his face.

"It didn't have to end like this!" he cried.

"Kira, are you all right?" Athrun asked worriedly over the radio.

"I'm fine," Kira answered flatly.

"What's wrong?"Athrun asked.

"Nothing. I'm just…tired."

"Okay. The Archangel is on its way over to pick us up."  
"All right."

Athrun could sense that something was wrong because of Kira's listless tone, but politely waited until they were alone to press the matter further.

"Kira…I know there's something wrong. Please…tell me. Let me help you," he said softly when they were alone in his sleeping quarters.

"I…killed him." Kira unexpectedly broke down. "I…I killed the Desert Tiger and his girlfriend."

Athrun stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his lover. He held him close. "I…I didn't want it to end like that."

Athrun hugged Kira closer to him. "There was nothing you could have done. Sometimes…" he sighed softly. "Sometimes it has to end like that."

"But it's wrong!"

"I know. None of this is right. But there's nothing we can do."

_He's too gentle to be involved in a war like this._ Athrun thought. He did the only thing he could—held Kira and tried his best to comfort him.

Outside, the crew of the Archangel and the surviving Desert Dawn members celebrated. Lt. La Flaga, Lt. Bageruil, and Captain Ramius talked with Sahib in the headquarters. Suddenly, a little boy around seven or eight ran in.  
"Father," he said breathlessly. "The Chief wants us to honor our fallen warriors."

Sahib nodded in agreement. They stood outside and a cannon was shot off as the Chief read the names of those who had lost their lives. Everyone stood in a respective silence.

The next morning, the Archangel prepared to leave. Cagalli somehow managed to convince Captain Ramius to allow her, Kisaka, and Ahmed to come with them. She said she wasn't going to guarantee that they'd go to Alaska with them, but she convinced them that she and the others could help them. And so the Archangel took off with several new people on board. Athrun and Kira avoided the rest of the crew for the first part of the voyage and stayed in Athrun's room as much as possible. They talked for hours on end about everything and nothing. And Kira was very glad for the company.

To be continued…

A/N: Um…(runs and hides from angry reviewers) please don't kill me. I knew where this was going forever but I had a lot of trouble writing the scene between Athrun and Kira. I was going to have them go have sex but I couldn't bring myself to write a lemon scene so I just ended up leaving it at them going to bed. I'm so pathetic, huh?

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. I have decided that I am going to continue this into the Gundam Seed Destiny canon but I'm going to make a lot of changes to it. There were a lot of things that I thought could be improved so I will.

About Yzak and his scar: I didn't explicitly state that he had it, like in the series, but it's still there, okay? Or…just there. Whatever. The point is that he has the scar like in the series.

Again, please don't kill me for not updating!! (runs and hides from angry reviewers)


	14. Tug of Hearts

Athrun's Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 14 Tug of Hearts

The Archangel finally made it to the Red Sea. Everyone stared at the wide expanse of water in front of them in awe.

"For a short time, I will allow off-duty crew members to take turns above deck," Captain Ramius announced. She smiled. "Please relay the message to everyone on board."

The students in particular were very happy to hear this. They were some of the first to run up to the outer decks on the Archangel. Kuzzey was slightly seasick, though it wasn't anything too bad.

Kira and Athrun stepped out onto one of the other decks, both of them taking off their outer jackets so they'd feel much cooler. Kira blinked as the harsh sunlight hit his face and tried to adjust his eyes. There wasn't really a view, but that wasn't why they had chosen this deck. They wanted to get away from everyone to be able to have some time to think. And to be together, of course. Kira sighed softly as he remembered the Desert Tiger.

_Deep within the city of Banadiya, Cagalli and Kira had just finished their shopping trip and were now sitting down to enjoy a relaxing meal, giving Kira a chance to sample the local cuisine. Today's special was what Cagalli called Doner kebabs though they honestly looked nothing like kebabs in Kira's personal opinion. She was just instructing him on what sauces he should use when a strange man in a hat and sunglasses randomly sat at their table and told him the opposite. An argument ensued which resulted in both kinds of sauce ended up on Kira's kabobs._

_Cagalli shrank behind Kira and he stood in front of her protectively as Waltfeld produced a gun. "So how do you determine the winners and the losers?" Kira gasped softly. "At what point do we put an end to it?"  
"At what point?" Kira asked quietly, not comprehending the Desert Tiger's words._

_"When every single one of your enemies has been destroyed?" Waltfeld asked, pointing the gun at the two teens. "Perhaps then." Kira tensed up._

_The Mobile Suit charged forward. Kira hailed the Desert Tiger over the radio, begging him to surrender, but he wouldn't listen._

_"Don't do it Mr. Waltfeld!" Kira begged._

_At that moment, the Strike ran out of power. Waltfeld's Mobile Suit's cockpit was full of sparks._

_"There's no way to determine the end to this war. There's no choice but to fight. I'm not going to quit! Not until one of us is destroyed!"_

_Kira thought fast. He got rid of the extra armor and took out the two knives. He charged forward and slammed them into the other Mobile Suit. He stumbled backward and fell as the Mobile Suit exploded. He weakly lifted his head, staring at the bright explosion. Tears streaked down his face._

_"It didn't have to end like this!" he cried._

"Kira? Are you okay?" Athrun's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He turned his head to the side so he could look at his lover. He realized that he was shaking badly and his hands were tightly grasping the rail. Athrun gently eased his grip and took his hands within his own, hands that were already stained with blood. "You were thinking about the Desert Tiger?" It wasn't an accusation, but a mere question.

Kira nodded. "I can't stop thinking about what happened. The scenes won't stop replaying in my head. No matter how hard I try, I can't get rid of them." He fought back his tears.

"No matter how much you want to, you can't forget the screams," Athrun murmured. He completely understood what Kira was going through. He didn't think he would ever forget watching Rusty and Miguel die. He wrapped his arm around Kira comfortingly. They stood arm in arm, staring at the sea.

Flay came out, her Earth Forces jacket gone, and her shirt tied up so her naval was showing in what Kira guessed was an attempt to seduce him.

"Kira!" she called. She brushed her long red hair back. "It's so hot out here! You should have told me that you were going to be out here!"

She latched onto Kira's other arm and started to pull him away from Athrun. Athrun growled softly under his breath and held on tighter. Flay pulled harder. Cagalli came out and saw Kira in the middle of a tug-of-war between Flay and Athrun and decided to intervene on Kira's behalf.

"Stop it, both of you," she scolded, stepping forward. "Kira's not a yo-yo. Come on. Let go of him."

Athrun scowled at her. "Tell that…slut to get her hands off my boyfriend and I'll be happy."

Cagalli turned to Flay. "You heard him. Hands off. Kira and Athrun are together now. You can't go around trying to steal someone else's boyfriend."

"You can't tell me what to do," Flay snapped.

"Flay, get off," Kira said angrily. "Leave me alone!" He shook Flay hard until she let go.

"Kira…" she murmured.

"I'm sick of you clinging to me. I don't like you," Kira snapped.

"Fine. I see how it is." Flay stalked off.

Kira turned to Cagalli. "Thank you. I thought she'd never leave."

"You're welcome." Cagalli smiled.

"Where's your friend…Ahmed right?" Kira asked.

"Ahmed is lying down," Cagalli answered with an even bigger smile. "He's feeling seasick."  
"Oh I see. I guess he's not used to the water, huh?"

"No." Cagalli shook her head. "He grew up in the desert so he's never seen so much water before."

"You can't blame the guy." Kira smiled.

The three of them sat on the deck.

"You know, you're a really strange guy," Cagalli told Kira. "Like when you totally freaked out the other day."  
"Oh. Sorry." Kira blushed, remembering that incident quite well.

"Well, it's not that I'm really mad," Cagalli said slowly. "But I wonder sometimes why on earth you're a Coordinator in the first place." Kira and Athrun stared at her, shocked. Her hands flew to her mouth. "That totally came out wrong! I mean…why are you siding with the Earth Forces if you're a Coordinator?"

"You probably think that's strange." Kira sighed softly. "I get that a lot."  
"Whether or not people think you're strange isn't the point. We're at war because Coordinators and Naturals are determined to exterminate each other no matter what the cost. I mean, don't you have strong feelings about that?"

Kira looked at Cagalli. "What about you?"

"My feelings towards someone have nothing to do with their being Coordinator or Natural."  
"Same here." Kira smiled.

"But I also think that when someone attacks you in a war, you have no choice but to fight back."

Kira sighed softly and rested his head against the side of the ship. "I know."

They talked for a while longer before Cagalli left. She claimed that she was going to check on Ahmed but Kira knew that she really wanted to give him and Athrun some time alone and he was grateful for that. The two of them sat silently on the ship, Kira resting his head on Athrun's shoulder. They let the gentle rocking of the ship lull them to sleep.

Miriallia found them later when she walked out on the deck to see if there was a view. She felt bad about waking the two of them up, but she didn't want them to get burned by the sun. Fortunately, they were as pasty as ever. They were grateful that she woke them up because they did NOT want to have to battle while sunburned.

To be continued…

A/N: Poor Kira, huh? Stuck in the middle of a tug-of-war between Flay and Athrun. I HATE that scene where Flay takes her jacket up and ties her shirt up. The first thought I had when I saw this was, 'what a slut'. Ah, what a lame ending. And the chapter was really short too. Hopefully the later chapters will be much longer. Reviews help me update faster!!


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